If you're happy and you know it...

Saturday's session was looking pretty dismal. There was no groundswell action to speak of, and the tradewinds were expected to boost into the 10-25 mph range.

After longboarding the last three sessions, I had this incredible urge to clamber back onto my bodyboard--I needed the change of pace. Whenever I board surf, I feel like I cheat myself out of the full-body workout that bodyboarding gives me. In fact, my gluteus maximus's were maximizing so much that I was contemplating watching my wife's "Buns of Steel" video.

Despite a noontime flight that very day to Puerto Rico (by way of Hurricane Erika), my amigo Jerry, was all fired up for the dawn patrol. Is he addicted or what!?!

We decided to meet at Sandy's at 5:15 am. It was more than a bit breezy when we got there, and the surf looked pretty bad through our car headlights, crumbling in at about two feet. So we blasted over to Diamond Head and joined the crew already making their way down the path in the darkness.

We opted for Cliffs, looking for the juicy rights that it can sometimes dish up. There was a surprising amount of windswell arcing into the high tide reef. We both scored some poor quality, but decent-sized waves in lightly crowded conditions.

Jerry caught some nice ones all the way to the inside reef, using his improved edge control to stay right in the hook. There was a moment late in the session when he sat up on his board and proclaimed, "Man, this is great!" Conditions were lousy, but he was just stoked to be out, interacting with nature.

And so was I. No killer waves to talk about. Just a few cool drops, spins, rolls, carves and fakie airs (not real ones--fat gluts holding me back). Got one nice head-high peak. Took off between two fractioning walls, made it around the section, then stalled in the hook. I signed it off with some pansy-ass bellyspins on the inside.

We left early so that Jerry could catch his flight. Anyway, after nearly three hours of water time, we both were well-satiated. The session was fun despite the conditions. It wasn't that good, but man, it was great!

Aloha from Paradise,