This is Not Pipeline

Left the house at 11:30 to partly cloudy, hazy skies. The air temperature is 62 which certainly beats yesterday's 49. When I get in the car, my heater starts blowing from when I had it on yesterday. We won't be needing that today.

I'm wondering what the surf will be like today. It's definitely up from yesterday, but I really don't want to let it dominate my thoughts today. I try to explain to myself that this is not pipeline. I'll be fine.

I get to the parking lot and the water looks relatively smooth. I am very comfortable on the walk down the stairs. I can see whitewater from the top of the stairs and the lines of surf look like they mean it today.

After passing the bathrooms I can see the surfers. There is one guy way out trying to paddle into a wave. He doesn't connect and now there's a bigger one further out behind him. This is much larger than the 3-4 posted on surfline. That set was well overheard. I repeat to myself - “this is not pipeline.” Yesterday I got so worked up in my head about the surf and it ended up being nothing. I am determined not to let that happen today. Just breathe and relax and have confidence that I can handle this just fine.

I get to the sand and see another large set. Nope I am going to do this. Just swim out there, do my thing and then come back. I wait for a set to pass and then high tail it out. I don't have to dive under a single wave. I put a lot of distance between me and the shore. I can feel that extra energy in the water today. I feel the push from the north. The water feels like it is tossing and turning beneath me. I notice the lift in the surface of the water intersect with me as the larger waves make their approach.

About halfway down the beach I sense a particularly large set. The first wave rolls beneath me and I watch the spray blowing behind it's curl. I see the next wave and decide to head further out to sea. I don't think it will break on me but man it looks big and ready to break soon. That set was the same size as the one that drove me to finish early about a month ago. Today I decide to power through.

The water feels pretty good. I wondered if the warmer air today might make the water feel colder. It doesn't. I don't really wrestle at all with the cold but just give myself to it.

I get as far south as the trail that meets the walkway at its southern end. I don't think it's a good idea to get closer to the cliffs today and I don't at all feel bad or wimpy about that. Boy I am much further out than normal. I can almost, but not quite, see around the bend of the point.

I head north. I briefly consider eliminating the northern leg of my swim but decide to go the whole distance. Either way I will have to swim through the same surf zone.

I pass a couple boats on the way to Salt Creek. I'm pretty close to them so I must be far out. That's ok, I feel pretty safe here even with this bounce.

When it is time for the final turnaround I decide to point myself slightly shore bound but pay close attention to where the waves are breaking and also where a larger set might break further behind.

It's time to head directly in and I try to maintain both calm and a straight line knowing that the waves could be larger and break further out if I go any further south. Soon here I am and without incident. Not a single wave breaks on or near me. Despite my success, this will likely be the last swim of the year with more swell arriving every day and peaking at 10 - 15 feet on Saturday. I think I'll sit that one out.