Morning glory

I wanted to surf somewhere different. Because of the lack of groundswells, for most of the summer we’ve been surfing Diamond Head. I was just tired of the place already.

Fortunately, Buddy heard that there was some wave action on the North Shore from a small low pressure system near Alaska. He suggested we try Lani's. I was happy to just go somewhere else for waves.

Did the reconnaissance mission again and found the surf to look like clean shoulder high in the predawn. Apparently, word got out that the surf came up the day before, because the usually empty parking lot was already starting to fill with cars.

Paddling out, it was great seeing the familiar faces that we see during the winter. "Howzits" were passed around as we all recognized each other from months prior.

a sweet wall

The surf was actually better than it looked from shore, with an occasional overhead set coming through. Unfortunately, it was obviously on the decline, with sets coming fewer and further between. Most everyone was raving about how much better it was the day before (however, we got word from Allan Wicklund that it was also insanely crowded--guess everyone wanted to get some).

I got a few really fun ones on my longboard, including a set wave that was just overhead. Even though it was small, it was nice getting to ride some North Shore juice again. Forgot how the competition level out there is a bit more confounding, with some very skilled riders (and some very lengthy boards).

Buddy came out a bit later and started tearing the place apart. Like me, he got a bit flustered with the crowd, but he made the most of it. Despite saying that he had a hard time, I saw him catch some sweet ones, including one I saw from shore where he threw a wicked fan.

It was crowded, but still fun. The North Shore finally yawned awake after a summer slumber. Looking forward to the upcoming winter season.

Even the old guys were on it