It started firing once I left the water... typical!

The new swell matured throughout Thursday, so Friday was expected to be just on the decline. Had the day off, so I zoomed out west in hopes of getting the remnants.

Driving along the coast, I was disheartened to see very little whitewater. Guess the swell was already on the wane.

I decided on riding this secret, very localized beachbreak, which showed promise. Almost got stuck in the sand trying to park in plain sight of the lineup. Ended up having to park on the mauka side of the road.

Surf was super clean, with some inconsistent overhead sets. The lefts were wide open and the rights were sectiony over a very shallow reef. All rides starts off with negotiation of the backwash.

Although the surf was smaller than expected (it was supposed to be double-o), I was in heaven riding these smooth waves by my lonesome. I just wondered why these waves, which were visible to all campers and passerbys, were empty. Maybe everyone just woke up later--I wasn’t complaining.

After an hour, several surfers joined me in the lineup. They had an air of being the feral haole-locals, but in reality they were really cool guys, willing to talk story. We shared waves without incident.

The sun eventually peaked over the Waianaes, radiating sunlight throughout the shadowed coast. Spinner dolphins paid us a visit, just going off like Greg Louganis on the 3 meter springboard. It was serene and oh so relaxing.

My only apprehension was that I could not see my car very well, especially with the influx of new vehicles around my car. After a while, I had to take the attitude that if I was ripped off, there was nothing I could do. Fortunately, my worries were unfounded.

Eventually, the real locals came out and dominated the set waves. They knew exactly where to sit and how to maximize the rides. I quickly realized I was out of my league, and soon bailed.

Took some neat shots from the beach. It seemed like the surf was way better than when I was in the water. Looking from the shower facilities, I once again marveled at the quality of the surf and the stark visibility of the spot. I guess localism (or the rep thereof) helps to keep the lineup in order.

Regardless, I had a great surf and came home quite satisfied for the first time in a long time. I was hiding in plain sight, but still had it to myself.

Aloha from Paradise,