E's Surf Report: damn.. goood!

Jocular Jake and i hit it up around 6:30. I saw that the Papa buoy popped up last night but i didn't think it would hit us so soon.. but.. right now all the buoys are up!! SF is at 2.6ft 17seconds.. California is at 7ft 17seconds!! FUNK Yizeah!! that's what i'm sayin... Anyway.. Jake's coming off a semi-serious operation and so hadn't surfed in over a month. Last night i was reassurring him that conditions would be super-mellow and maybe even mini this morning at OB.. perfect for his first dip back in the drink.. Ha ha ha!! A slight offshore blew my hair in my face as we jogged down to the beach. We climbed over the great highway just as a thick, meaty set crunched and unloaded on a shallow sandbar out at OB. The ocean looked smooth and polished. Waves were peeling and closing out, a little bit of both.. about head-high, maybe a bit larger. Liquid undulations paraded toward shore in sets of 4 or 5.. the biggest ones somewhat daunting and foreboding.. cracking and guffawing as they unloaded long-period ground-swell energy. We actually thought it was the SW swell i had read about, but now, after looking at the buoys, it's most obviously this long-ass-period west swell that's just filling in. The drops were steep and meaningful. Ledgy!!! The kind were you really have to commit well before it's time to stand up. I caught a bunch of solid, memorable, muscular, soul-lifting rides.. mostly just super-solid drops.. but a few down-the-line excursions as well. Jake dropped into one thicky right and enjoyed a brief green-room moment before punching through the wall and out the back. We tried to split the peak on a resoundingly significant set-wave... but both got pitched over the falls and smacked down toward the bottom.. I had a few semi-scary hold downs this morning.. mostly while paddling back out after rides and getting caught in the impact zone.. board getting sucked from my death-grip, and body getting pinned to the hard sandy bottom.. Once again the Robme breathing technique helped keep me calm. The dark sky and gentle offshore wind lent a surreal, magical element to the session. Not to mention the fact that there was NOBODY else within 4 blocks of us in either direction ... plus the offshore-licked, groundwell juice marching in. Where was everybody?? Also of note.. it was fucking hella super chilly out there.. or else i need a new wetty! There also are some extendo lulls between sets.

Rob Born sent me some cool pics.. check em'..
Seeking the barrel at OB
ob niceness

Rob taking off at his favorite secret spot
nice peak

Bachelor party RB... riding tandem
nice

nice