Saltwater for Breakfast

Sunrise at the beach, cloudy sky and a lifeguard tower casting a shadow.

Shoulda Been Here Yesterday

"You shoulda been here yesterday!" My favorite phrase and bumper sticker. It made me laugh out loud the first time I heard it. There's a joy in it and a nostalgia for the day before, a longing for the brilliant time we had and so deeply want to have again. I hear it all the time, "Yesterday was so fun!" or "Yesterday was great! You shoulda been here." A similar phrase came out of my mouth one day at Blackies. It was a big day: big waves coming fast and frequent, one right beh

4 days ago16 min read

A Moonlight Surf

The other night, Surf Sensei and I went out for a sunset surf. There is nothing like surfing as the sun goes down; it's my favorite thing in the world. The colors of the California sunset are always the same: blue sky fading to deep maroon near the water, yellow, orange, red, and sometimes, a hot pink if you're lucky. The colors reflect off the water and you surf through golden waves. Going out with Surf Sensei is always a pleasure, but this time was especially cool: we share

Apr 1211 min read

The Day of the Sand Piranhas

Surfing the other day at Blackies was a stunner of a morning. The marine layer thick, waves small, water glassy, a perfect day. A friend of mine brought a young friend of hers to surf for the first time; the young woman stood up on her first wave and sailed right in! We were both excited for her and envious at the same time! It took me a year of high quality failure to reach the same feat. I caught a couple waves and chatted with Surf Sensei, who is always full of interesting

Apr 910 min read

Blackies

On most days, the water is so clear at Blackies, you can see right through it. See the few shells on the bottom, the little fish swimming by, the ripples in the sand on sea floor. When the sun reaches a certain height, tiny grains of sand dispersed throughout the water reflect the light, and it looks like I'm swimming in a sparkling snow globe, shimmering within a crystal clarity. For me, the clarity of the water sometimes makes it hard to catch a wave, because I don't know I

Mar 1035 min read

Rogue Waves and Other Tragedies

According to NOAA , a rogue wave is one that is "large, unexpected, and dangerous." It's the result of a particular kind of focused combo swell, perhaps when ground swell waves from storms interact with currents or different swells add up in constructive interference. When we are out surfing, occasionally we'll see a much bigger wave wander through on an ordinary 2-3' day. You know when something is coming, because the more observant surfers will start paddling out all of sud

Mar 332 min read

Combination Swell

December in SoCal seems to be the perfect time for some big waves. Over the past three years, the day after Christmas -- literally the same day -- has been a big day. This year, not as big as predicted, but in 2023? It was huge . It was the 10-12 foot waves at Blackies that year that blew my mind! I wrote about how we got wiped out in a surf lesson the day before the big surf arrived, because we got caught in the leading edge of the swell. These December big surf events are

Feb 625 min read

The Sea Lion

When I paddled in the other morning to say goodbye to Surf Sister Ashley, I stepped off my board and into a pile of seaweed hiding underwater. After a short scream and awkward squiggle out of the gross, scratchy pile of slimy stuff, I hugged her and paddled back out. I was on my own in the water for the first time in a long time. It was a Wednesday morning with Very Small Waves with a Long Wait in between them, so not many people were out. It was incredibly peaceful. I looked

Dec 19, 202526 min read

Shrimp Season

Blackies parking lot on a Saturday morning is hopping from 5 am onward into the night. When I arrive in the summertime for dawn patrol at 5:30 am, it is difficult to find a parking spot. The fish market is open and there is already a line halfway down the lot. People leave with bags of fish, sea urchin, octopus, and shrimp freshly caught by the latest people in a long line of fisherfolk who have been working near this pier since at least 1888. The Dory Fish Market is notabl

Dec 14, 202519 min read

Making the Turn

Under the right conditions, I can make the turn to surf down the line. At first, catching a wave just means looking back and trying really hard to notice a good one. As a beginner, a kook, there are too many details to organize and you can only do one thing. That's why beginners are often dropping in on other people. But now, my awareness is expanded. Every time I catch a wave, there is a whole process. I am looking back out to sea to notice the green wave coming. I turn arou

Dec 11, 202512 min read

Stars, Snakes, & Vultures

My intention was to go coasting: head north along the coast. Attention, letting go, love, and beauty. I did that -- all of that. Drove...

Sep 5, 202528 min read

Coasting

"The silence holds with its gloved hand the wild hawk of the mind." R.S. Thomas "I know what it is to exist between the world's...

Aug 8, 202511 min read

In the Churn

Went to San O the other day, down by Dogpatch and Old Man's. Surfline said 2-3+. I should know by now that the little "+" at the end of...

Jun 30, 202518 min read

A Blue Mass

Dawn Patrol. First light. The alarm chimed at 5:30 this morning; I was in the car by 5:40, everything sorted. The preparations now are automatic. I can carry the surfboard and dry bin at the same time I open the door on the way to the car, keys around my neck on a ribbon. Wetsuit slipped on easily. Car was already prepared. The drive to Blackies takes 20 minutes no matter what I do. At the beach by 6, in that beautiful blue mass shortly after, joined by lovely surf sister, Ka

May 17, 202520 min read