It's Tuesday. I get up in the dark to arrange the car. When I leave the house, it's 50 degrees. Surfline reports the water temperature at 60 degrees. This will be a new record low temp to enter the water. I ride to the coast with the heat on in the car. The sunrise is glorious, clouds afire in reds and oranges. No marine layer at this time of year: the beach is crystal clear, glassy seas all the way to Catalina. A full moon on its way down to the northwest of us; Mother Moon, goddess of the tides, watches over us this chilly morning. I flexed some time off work to attend a gathering of the Secret Surf Society*.
On the beach, I am cold. COLD. I didn't want to take off my sweatshirt in the parking lot to get kitted out. I am not sure if I can do this today. I expect to be a shivering popsicle the minute I hit the waves. At this temperature, I would normally be wearing a wool coat and Ugg boots, not a 2mm wetsuit. Seeing other Society mavens, I am warm. Big neoprene hugs to all. We choose our spot and head out. And...
Water is lovely! Not cold at all! Or rather, in comparison to the air temp, the water feels WARM. Waves are BIG today. Several over our heads. Several so big, they make barrels. Still, they aren't terribly fast -- just a friendly wave's older brother who plays linebacker for the high school football team. Big, but friendly big. Lumbering, but smooth. They will knock me over, but they won't try to kill me.
Long lines of waves, I've never seen such long unbroken waves at Blackies before. Just beautiful. I catch a number of waves on my knees today. So fun! I think to myself, "If this is all I ever do -- surf in on my knees -- then I'm fine with that. I'm fifty-fucking-five for fuck's sake. This is fucking amazing!" I laugh as I get caught inside so much this morning. Giggling like a school girl playing in the waves. (On a Tuesday!) So many really big waves, I just have to duck dive under. During one set, waves so high, I jump off the board and dive under. The swirl of the passing waves so strong, I feel it try to pull my hat from my head. Sometimes, I turn around, hop on my board, and just ride the wave back in on my belly, because, really, why fight it? On a previous day, surf sister Toni once came up from a big wave struggle saying, "I just got bitch slapped by the ocean!" Always glass-half-full Haley replied, "No, think of it as the ocean just high-fived you in the face!" It was definitely an ocean-high-fiving-me-in-the-face kind of day.
Water was crystal clear. Tons of little fishes swimming with us. Pelicans flying close to the waves. Some surfers walk out the length of the jetty to jump in and avoid the paddle out. Sitting outside, I could see Catalina grow pinker with the rising sun; the moon setting. Deep blue water. Some of the waves so big, the crashing on shore sounded a deep BOOM -- sounded completely different from when I was inside. Sitting outside looking up the coast away from the sun at a crashing wave, the wind sent up the spray creating little rainbows all the way down the backside of the wave. The sun warmed my dark wetsuit. In the moment. Fully in the moment.
Trying to get outside at one point, I look to my left toward the pier. A surfer pops up a little distance away from me and angles in on a wave heading slightly behind me. I stay where I am (out of their way) and watch. They are back lit by the sun -- can't really tell if it is a man or a woman. The surfer is perched perfectly on the shoulder, the wave closing out a little barrel behind them; they sail forth, gliding with an easy grace and such speed. It is beautiful. Magical. A two-second moment in time I will never forget.
The other members of the Society have amazing days. Catching waves on their own, standing up like pros all the way to the shore, some waves over their heads! Both say they are afraid of the big waves, a little nervous, but it doesn't stop them. The Nereids persevere. Just one more...let's stay for just one more wave.
We make plans for the weekend in the parking lot, dripping. I drive home with The Admiral dripping all over my car. I take a very long hot shower and eat a huge breakfast. My shoulders are aching, my back already stiff. I am wide awake and peaceful. Can we go again tomorrow?
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*Membership in the Secret Surf Society is open, yet identities are highly guarded to protect the deliciously, delightedly, unrepentantly guilty.
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