Session 16 - Feb 9 - Steamer Lane

Saturday, Feb 9, 3-5 pm, 6'8 Taylor

Daily double!!! This is what I'm talking about, a few more of these and I'll be easily on pace to 150. As I said in my prior session post, it was about the most beautiful day imaginable at the beach in Santa Cruz Saturday. It really doesn't get any better, pumping swell, sunshine, shorts and tshirt level sunshine. Even the plants in my yard are starting to make a comeback, some new flower buds coming out for a moment in the sun, the palm frond showing some new signs of life...hopefully the trend continues! As for surf, Colin and Joan came down from SF. This is notable as well as it means I actually had 3 Santa Cruz visitors today -- Paul in the morning, Colin, Joan, plus their dog Gus in the afternoon...usually Selin and I live over there in seclusion like hermits, good to have a couple visitors in the neighborhood! So they drove down and we decided to head to Steamer Lane. Was big out there, big and crowded, but definitely working. Unfortunately it was a struggle to get in position and catch the good ones, between the crowd of pros out there (saw Jason "Ratboy" Collins getting out of the water as we were going in) and the current, plus the fat mushy waves that were making their way to inside where I was most of the time...I didn't get much really. Really only one wave of note, got 2 weak cutbacks on it and was set up for more but on the second I had to go back sharper than I wanted to avoid running over a guy, and wound up pulling myself out of the wave as a result, bummer. Some real bombs coming through out at middle peak but w/ the current and my lack of discipline (I'm not good at passing up potential waves as they come by) I never made it out there to get in position for one. A lot of them were just big drops with a fat mushy shoulder, it was pretty big Steamer Lane but not the Lane at it's best.

That's all for now, gonna head out and get in weekend session #3 now...lovin' this sunshine!

Posted below is a reference video for the aforementioned Ratboy surfing some SC spots, click the photo to go to the site to view the video (if you want to).