Punching through the mess

The forecast was for one of those "in between days" which was a bit too small for the Westside, but slightly too big for my comfort on the North Shore. Decided to chance the Country anyway, since the 11 ft, 14 sec buoy readings were not as insane as I thought it would be.

The swell had a strong north component to it, but for some reason, Laniakea wasn't working. At the Beach Park, Pipeline looked junky with heavy sand buildup. However, Ehukai looked doable, so I got my gear and headed out.

Waves weren't super big, maybe double-overhead, but it was pretty gnarly with a strong westward current. One person had paddled out and was trying to catch waves in the mess.

I played it way too casual while paddling out and ended up getting swept down the beach. I tried punching through the shorebreak, but just couldn't do it. My lungs felt constricted after lots of ducking, especially since I was wearing my snug shortie. I hit Backdoor without making it through and embarrassingly turned around to shore and walked back up the beach.

This time I walked further up the beach and rested a while. Hit the seam between Gums and Pipe and made my way out without too much pain.

The surf was pounding, but fun, with some nice rights. A few more bodyboarders joined us in the lineup and we had a good time on the peak at Ehukai. No real outstanding rides. Just a decent session with good exercise.

Eventually, everyone went in except for me, so I caught a few more before heading in. The surf wasn't getting any better and I had already gotten a good workout, especially after getting flushed down the beach.

Aloha from Paradise,