First Day of Spring

Dude-

The sky this morning showed a few cotton ball clouds. The rest of the sky was bright blue. The tide was dropping. Surfdog called for clean conditions today in his surf report on the radio. My business phone kept ringing as I tried to get my gear loaded into the truck. Dave would be here any time. The surf was so much fun yesterday he went before and after work.

Dave arrived and proceeded to load the truck as I took care of the last details of my morning business. We rode over to Capitola listening to a Los Straightjackets' tape. They were cranking out some killer surf tunes. I like to listen to a music on the way to the beach. The sound of a strong surf guitar acts as an aphrodisiac for surfing. By the time you get out of the truck you are totally stoked and ready to go. If they only knew about the effects The State of California would outlaw a combination Dick Dale and Peet's coffee in coastal communities. I'm sure more work would get done and there would less traffic accidents within 1 mile of the ocean.

When we arrived at Capitola there were only 2 other guys in the water. The tide needed to drop for conditions to get really good, but right then it was fine. We suited up and paddled out to the line up in time to have the sets stop. Within 15 minutes the waves returned. The swell was begging for a lower tide in order for the waves to break further out and more consistently.

After 40 minutes I was still waiting to get my first decent wave of the morning. The tide did drop and the waves picked up. Once I got my first good ride the next 12 or so were there for the taking .Paul, Dave and I had it all to ourselves for a half hour.
The waves were easy to miss. When you caught one it was glide heaven. Today nothing was abrupt or hurried about how the waves were breaking. They were smooth and glassy. You could ride right a long ways towards New Brighton. After 2 hours my shoulders were starting to ache.

The kelp would yank you off your board every now and then. Getting nailed by the kelp wasn't violent as it often is.Sometimes the kelp makes you angry. It didn't matter today because there plenty of waves. . Everyone just laughed it off and kept surfing. The sun heated up the air and a thick wetsuit was a detriment. A number of people had on 3/2 suits. A couple of guys had on spring suits. My 4/3 got pretty warm. It felt good to fall into the cool water after riding a wave.

The days are longer, the sun is higher in the sky and a getting stronger every day. The central coast salt air has the aroma of blossoms on the breeze. Just like so many times before they are playing baseball in Arizona. All this is what you vividly remember as spring. It all has come back again. It's going to be okay.

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The Way I Remember It

Dude-

Tom and I met at Capitola this morning an hour after low tide.The decision to surf or not surf there was well studied and unhurried. It had been flat at Capitola yesterday so 38th Avenue was the call.Today we wanted to make sure that it was worth suiting up before paddling out. If there was any doubt then we'd go over to 38th. The sun came out from the gray as we waited and watched. The forecast called for warm weather with wind in the afternoon.

We watched it for a while we decided to go in there at Capitola. The swell wasn't strong or fast so we had to work for every small wave we rode.The ocean was beer bottle green and smooth. Priscilla paddled out and joined us. Everything changed. As soon as she arrived in the lineup a fun set rolled through. It was the best thing I'd seen all morning.There were many more to follow.

The three of us surfed second jetty and had a ball. The tide was rising so the kelp became less of a problem. One guy was sitting way outside at the boil waiting for a payday for his patience. His reward never materialized. He paddled into where we were and caught a wave. He rode it to the beach and got out. Tom, Priscilla, and I got as many waves as we could. Another guy joined us and we all had fun. A woman showed and she started getting all kinds of waves also.

Tom went to surf at Toes Over by himself. The rest of us stayed at second jetty and had a ball. There wasn't much time for conversation because we were so busy surfing and paddling back out. I almost got a cheater 5 on my new board. That big board is a BMW 740 of longboards. It loves to glide.

In quiet moments when I think about surfing today is the kind of day that comes to mind. It had sun that made you feel like you were in a warm glove, clean conditions, a small friendly crowd, and long, smooth rides.The ocean even smelled sweet. I think the seals were smiling as they slowly swam in the kelp bed. Sometimes they laid still with their eyes closed.All of us knew we were lucky to be there. No one was in a hurry, everyone savored Capitola at it's best.