From earlier in the day when I drove by the beach.
We’ve been out of the water for nine days because of winter rain coupled with design work in SF. Waited one more day for the rain runoff to clear so we skipped yesterday. This morning, we missed our early time but still squeaked in a sunset surf on a rising tide on a warm, sunny Thanksgiving. Waves had been pumping all day with a WNW swell expected at 7′ and when I checked the cams on my phone earlier, waves were breaking out by the wharf and there were more lineups than I’d seen yet at Capitola. It wasn’t that big by the time we made it out and there was just a bit too much tide at over 3′. Max got two good rides. A guy that was out by 1st jetty catching those tricky rights right by the rocks had a gorgeous handmade wooden fish. Chatted with a couple at the end: Rob, who turned out to be a shaper and had made the board with a flat nose and the beautiful color block bottom. His wife had the other one I’d seen a different day – dark on top and color squares on the bottom. They also had the cool, color-blocked van he had painted himself rather than pay $7000 for someone else to paint it just one color. Surfing’s never just about the waves but always about the whole experience: the people you meet, the waves you share, the sheer beauty of being in the ocean. I’m thankful for the ocean, for love and friendship, good health, creative opportunity and the chance to live my dreams.
#194 / 4pm / HP1
[REGIONAL SUMMARY: Good-sized surf on tap through the day as West-WNW (270-325) swell eases. Conditions are nice and clean this morning with surf running head high+ for average breaks while the more exposed spots range from 2-3′ overhead to double overhead. The dropping tide will help shape for most breaks through the morning.]
7ft @ 13s from WNW (294)
2ft @ 8s from WNW (286)
1ft @ 7s from WSW (250)
1ft @ 16s from SSW (198)