REPORT #2 for the 5'10" ...

Posted: Dec 8, 2008, 12:48 PM on Swaylocks

Okay, Guys.. here is report #2 for the 5'10"
....

Army and Navy Academy Beach
Saturday 12-06-08
Session: 5:30AM - 10:45AM
Wave Height: waist to shoulder
Conditions: side shore / slight offshore and glassy

I got up at 5:15AM, moved the BT high Aspect Ratio Fins all the way up to the front of the box, with the leading edge about 14-16" up from the tail, donned my smelly wetsuit (still wet from the day before), re-waxed the 5'10, and headed down the Academy stairs (having a key is definitely a perk) to my home break.

I have been living out front of the Academy for about 6 years and have surfed it for 8, so I pretty much have the place wired. It was still a little too dark, but I paddled out anyway.

The waves were there, but due to the extreme high tide, it was breaking too mellow and close to shore to get anything of any quality.

I paddled back and forth from The Point to the north of the Academy and south to the Beach Terrace Inn until about 10:45.

The wave quality and rides got better as the tide dropped. The first wave I took was in front of the lifeguard tower and I took it right with a glassy face and open shoulder about 50 yards to the public access stairs next to Dr. Meiberger's yellow beach house. The board maxed out the wave's speed every time I pumped up into the upper third and held that line. The fin adjustment made a dramatic difference from having them all the way back to the tail the day before. It was much looser, and more to my style and feel.

After moving north toward the point, I got into the rip between the General's house and the new condos and held my position there against the long-shore current because I have figured out that when I first see the wave starting to roll, I can see whether or not it is going to be a right or a left, and sitting in that spot allows me enough time to paddle (at first site) over to catch a right or a left. My next two quality waves were both lefts.

I paddled almost too deep into the pocket of the first left with some good size to it, gave one stroke as it started to throw, got up, grabbed a rail for a split second (not quite barreling yet because of the tide) and flew down the wave until it closed out. I did the same on the next left, only it closed out sooner than the last.

A nice right rolled through and I took off late, made the hook back up into the face and just flew like a scorched ape (as Bill would say) down the face, made another bottom turn as the lip started to fold, planned on doing a floater, but instead, aired right out of the damn wave, because I was going so fast. That surprised me, because it didn't seem like a board I would think to do aerial maneuvers with... especially with those high aspect fins... wouldn't want to come down hard on a landing and snap one or both of those fins or over-stress the boxes.

I was having so much fun that a set wave rolled through, started to break before I could get to it, and decided to ride it anyway on my knees. I couldn't believe how fast I flew out in front of the foam and face. It worked even better as a knee-board!

I ended up riding it as a knee-board for a while and getting little barrels on the inside.

I rode perfect little barrel in a prone position on the inside and felt like a dolphin... it was too cool... just a great feeling.

As the tide dropped out and the waves started to really get good shape, I went back to standing, and just pushed the envelope until my wife and kids came down to the beach. My arms were noodles by then, so I got out and passed the board on to my buddy Steve Peek, when he and his brother Dave came down the public access stairs. He said "What's that!?!" I said, "Go ride it! It's the board you saw when you drove by my house the day I was showing it to Bill, before he routed the slots out for the boxes!" He grabbed the board and caught about 5 waves on it. He came back in and told me it was fun and asked if he could ride it again when the waves got bigger.

I'm just going to keep passing this thing along to let people try it out.

I texted Skip Frye and Left a message with Josh Hall as well to get Richard Kenvin to ride it. I think with the waves down south of here in San Diego, the board will really come alive and show its true potential.

Until next time... stay tuned!

-Kawika