Lousy image of B-Rock

Got out of work early, so I took the opportunity to check out a spot I've been eyeing for years. Couldn't get the name straight, but it's a notorious reef shelf next to a rock outcropping that sports a great left.

Surf was only shoulder to head high, but the wave pitched hard and the shelf was shallow. It made for some pretty exciting rides.

My first wave was a sweet, deep barrel that sucked up nicely. I was taken aback by how hollow it was. I was like, "What was I doing surfing the *other* place?"

Of course, soon afterwards, my mindset changed a bit. I took off deep on a wave, but a surfer dropped in on me. He went out on the shoulder, then did a layback carve right in front of me. Bonk! I slammed the back of my head on his board.

I was fuming, but I just paddled back out without a word. To his credit, the kid came up to me and asked if I was alright. But the damage was done--I was pissed.

Because of that, I started getting a bit aggro, taking off real deep and jockeying more. This turned out to be a bad mindset because I ended up catching waves too deep and getting shut down repeatedly.

The other riders were, for the most part, pretty cool. A youngish crowd, most guys rode shortboards, with a couple of kneeboarders and more than a few bodyboarders sprinkled in. Cordial is what I'd call them, with one young surfer-grom in particular providing lots of stoke for everyone with his hooting and enthusiasm.

Had to bail early to join my coworkers for dinner, but still put in a full hour in the water. Next time I visit San Diego, I'll definitely be back to "Bulbuous" Rock.

Aloha from La Jolla,