Got up at 6am and drove down to Capitola to catch the right tide and some new 15s SSW swell. Loved being there early – lots of parking, no crowds on the beach or in the lineup yet, and a peaceful stillness under marine layer skies. We paddled out to join a small group of surfers hanging by the kelp. My first wave was a short one from the outside that hit the trench and slowed down. The next one was the best: one of the longest rights I’ve gotten there with lots of speed. I hooted out loud to myself while nearing the end of the ride just because I was so stoked and because no one was there :) Got a couple more short rides before the tide started to swamp out the swell and we waited through a 30 min lull. Chatted with the retired Army guy who’s now a surf guide in Nicaragua and lived in HI for 10 years. Nola paddled out later. Max got a great long right near the end of the session on his Bing. And just as we were about the leave, I got another fun ride in. Headed to Verve for some post-surf cappuccinos and to Dharma’s for lunch. Getting up at 6 and being in Capitola by early morning made the rest of the afternoon feel long and relaxed. Maybe this will become our Saturday tradition.
#246 / 9am / HP1
[Regional Summary: Lined up surf prevails at good exposures as SW-SSW groundswell tops out/holds, blending with minor NW windswell. Better breaks through town are in the waist-chest-head high zone, as standout focal points push up to head high+ at times. Most other breaks through town stay down under waist-stomach high. Winds are light/variable as the tide fills in to a 4.13′ high at 10:24am.]
2′ @ 15 seconds SSW 203