My Bolsa Best!!

Ok someone feel the ground and see if Hell  is freezing over!!! Did I just type "My Bolsa Best???"

Yes!!! Yes I did!!

It all started last night at a party we were invited to with a bunch of different surf crews!

Soooooo much fun!! A lot of talk about surfing the next day.. 

Hubs and I had a LOT to drink  and at this point decided we can not drive the 34 miles home.. So I'm bummed I don't have a wet suit.. Bathing suit... Surfboard!!

I have THE BEST friends in the world within 5 minutes plans were made where hubs and I each had that all covered for surfing the next day!

  

I could talk more about the party... But this is a surf blog ... But I will  tell you the party ended with 2 women ...me being one ...and our host Susan  in our late 40's skating long boards down a street after midnight!! Yes it was a fun night!! 

However I don't know if her neighbors were thrilled.. we were a tad loud laughing and talking!!

So next day we wake up!! I get a text from Laurie asking If we r surfing and if she needs to leave the wetsuit out ... I say let's see everyone is sleeping ... I will get back to you..

Everyone being me ,my hubs and Susan the hostess of the party!! 

Brian decides we need to get home not sure if our animals were fed last night my kids are not answering the phone... 

But they were there and took care of the Animals... We find this out later ...all is good!

We go see if Susan is awake.. And knock on her door ..She could barely talk .. She lost her voice and looked pretty hung over.. But she said oh let's surf!!

 

I really want to surf and Susan wants me to surf .. So we devise a plan... Hubs didnt really want to surf so he takes her truck and drives home and we go to Bolsa!

First I need a bathing suit so we "Frankenstein" a suit for me and a rash guard! I get to use Susans 8'0 single fin...you know the one with the green and blue polka dots!! I posted pix of it in the past.

We get to Bolsa and Susan, Irma and Val and I meet at T16... But first we have to go to another tower ... where Laurie and Greg are to get the wet suit im borrowing..

They say they are gonna leave it in the back of the Truck... Now i have only seen Gregs truck one time and the first big white truck we see .. Has a surfboard ... Chairs set around it and a cooler in the bed... Im scouring  through everything and no wetsuit... And Susan goes hey there is another big white truck over there  looks exactly like the one im going through!! and I see Lauries board stand!! OMG I was going through someone elses truck!!! I'm so sorry if you read this blog!! We started laughing ... Can you imagine???

So we get the suit and drive Ti south side  of Bolsa where we are meeting everyone..

It's a spring suit... We all hit the water of slow rolling maybe 3' at the most waves and the water is Cooooold! 

But after paddling and catching a few nice rides ... I warm up!

So I caught so many waves today!! I was on fire !! I even outsurfed my friends!! Which NEVER happens!!

One wave was fricken hysterical and I'm gonna do my best to describe this...

I'm paddling back outside and a wave closes out on me ... I think or thought I could push through it... But I was wrong ... That wave had other ideas!!! AND...the wave pushed back taking me in... I'm sitting on my board like a horse backwards headed to the beach.. and my board spins around and i still have a ways to go so...I stand up and rode it the rest of the way to shore!! Where is video when you need it!?!? I still have no idea how that happen? 

I got wave after wave after wave ... Rights and lefts!! 

As for wild life ... Besides us crazy awesome gals in the water!! I saw more in one day then I ever have!

First sitting outside I see this thing moving below me!! It's a big black shadow but it's on the sand bottom and it's sort of round!! My guess "as it went out towards the sea between me and Val"..  Is it must've been a really big ray of sorts!! It was at least the size of a semi truck tire!!

Then as I took another wave in .. and I get off my board and in about 1' of water I see this gray fish swim by my knee and it's a shark!!! It's a small shark about 14"-16" long ...a little sand type shark !! 

On another trip in I see the fisherman with said little shark caught and on shore and they released him! I'm just a few feet away from all this!!

My friends are a bit freaked out about the shark.. But I'm telling them it was such a little shark... The conversation went:..

they have teeth and can still bite our feet .. I said there are a lot of fish bigger than the  little shark out here with teeth that can bite  our feet ... Lol.. Then they were convinced the shark must be angry swimming back out here after being catched and released... I joked yes and it's comming out to take its revenge towards the fisherman on us surfers!! Lol

Then there was a nice size pod of dolphins swimming and frolicking right in the line up and in the pod were 2 babies .. So precious!! All the surfers paddled close and just were in awe!! I kept saying be careful those dolphins will protect the babies don't get too close!! But it was soooo magical and beautiful!! One dolphin stopped peaked his head out and looked at us ... Second time I seen this happen while surfing! 

He obviously saw no threat and they continued down the line up!!!

We surfed for over two hours!! Waves started to shut down I took a close out  all the way in .. just to catch something at this point... I still wanted waves!! and I see Cynthia  on the beach... I get out we talk and watch Susan , Irma and Val come in!! 

We all agreed it was a great fun surf day!!! Not too shabby for partying all night the night before!! 

Sorry no pix this time!!

Surf Ohana!!!

I totally get what a surf Ohana is... 

We been surfing Doho a lot lately... As a matter of fact I surfed Doho  (Doheny) twice last week...nothing too exciting to report .... Monday was Ok ... Knee to chest high surf...

Me and hubs met our neighbor Daryl there and ran into Jo Ann.. Don from Blackies crew..And hubs High School buddy Carlos.. Who is also a local fireman in our city.. 

I can say I had fun surfing that day and Don got some good pix of me ...I have not seen Yet... Will post when I get them...... If I don't look like an evolving neanderthal like most of my pix usually do!

Friday ...Tracy kidnapped me and took me to Doho again...it  was a low tide surf and the rocks got me!! Fin hit a rock and instant  brake ... and I went forward .. Walking out stubbed my toe on a rock... And scrapped my heal... Not a fan of rocks or the dirty water at Doheny... But boy is that wave seductive ....I did not do so great... Waves were smaller where I surfed.. It was super crowded and when I did go to where there were bigger waves I had to fight for them... Too many people to deal with and I lost every battle ...even though one would have been a perfect wave for me a girl with a partridge family bus design long  board got it and came whizzing by me right when I was gonna get it... With my 8'0 i have to sit inside a little more to get these waves and no one allowed me...Bummed .. And over it that day and a bit off all around I guess... 

Back to Ohana....

Blackies crew and Wahine Kai and my bloggers are my Surf Ohana... And I love all of them... 

In Summer Blackies crew disperses to other breaks or travel for vacay... Since our break is a popular touristy and inland favorite with parking right at the beach.. I get to see a few of Blackies crew at Doho lately and Friday was able to see a few more I have not seen in a while... Yes Mike and Bart were  there... And this time Jo Ann and April and Don were there... It's like a family reunion feels good! So that was a plus for Friday at Doheny...

But today we decide to go to Blackies!! I decide my board needs new wax so last night I Strip my board... 

Yep Mo was naked!

I waited till it got cooler to put my base coat on...and wax...

This is base coat.. So mo is in his undies

 

To find out we have NO wax for the top coat!!!

 I need cool and or warm but I have only tropical...(like I'm ever gonna get to use that) and cold!!

I had  my glass of wine in hand .... Bob Marley playing in the background and a beautiful full moon night!!

The scene was perfect for my date with Mo !!!All I was missing was that euphoric smell of surf wax to be complete!! And I was running around the house like a crack head looking  for crack and devastated I had No wax!!! Noooooooooooooo the mood was ruined and I had to wait till we went to the beach tomorrow to get my fix... Although its not the same :-(

Next day on way to Blackies... Hubs wants to go early and I mean early he wants a dawn patrol... I'm telling him it's negative low tide at -1.32 at 4:32 am and surf prob won't be decent till after 8:00 maybe 9:00???

He still insist we go... We leave house at 5:15 am

My view on our way to Blackies.... 

Our neighbor was gonna meet us there... Not sure why we didn't carpool?? But i think Hubs was thinking we were gonna leave the beach earlier than him.

We get to Blackies it's flat!!!!

But.. We see more Blackies crew... Dawn... Kim.. Ray... Thomas And Bart and Bob showed up..

Kim and Dawn decide to paddle out even though its flat and low tide even just to paddle.... It's now about 6:30...

I say ok need to wax my board I will meet you out there...just to paddle and be with my friends!!

Mo finally gets top coat... Not the same in public in front  of people and on asphalt:-(... 

Any way ... Suit up grab Mo and go to play in the ankle biters...

Water was colder... It's really been dropping in temperature..

We play and catch a few in shallow water... Can't pop up so shallow so I glide in on my knees or tummy...

It was still fun and we were laughing and it was nice... Plus Kim is recovering from an ankle injury and can't stand up ... So this is perfect for her..

Tide fills in ... Brian and Daryl join us ...

And we start to catch a few here and there... 

Oh it was soooo bad there it was kookville.. And we were... I swear the only non begginers in the water...and I felt bad I was getting agitated with them.. And had to remember.. Poor surf.. Really a begginer break...Summer day.. And i kept telling myself...you were a begginer once..I mean one girl paddled right in between me and hubs while we are talking and there really was no room between us we could almost touch each other.. She had room on either side of us but nope docked right in there her board was basically touching ours..it was wierd... I rolled my eyes and paddled to the right of hubs and did say out loud I'm over these KOOKS!!!

Then I went for a wave ready to pop up and kid on a little board was right there.... He was always right there and when we paddles to get away from him... I swear he followed us!!

I know he was just a grom about 7 years old and he was cute ... But ugh... I know Be nice surfing grandma!!

Irma showed up and decided not even worth getting suited ... Lol... She told me later...

 I can just picture her on shore shaking her head and saying what is that Michelle thinking again??? 

But hey was out for over two hours and even though the rides were short... I can't beleive I caught anything on the 8'0. But I did and again 3 nice lil lefts... That helps a lot when surf conditions are not the best!

Got out ran into Jesse and Bill... again more surf family!

Was awesome day even if just to see some familiar faces that we been missing and to just go home for a visit!

Ohana =my surf family!

4 out of 5 and half days of surfing!

So... I wrote up an Amazing blog post on Saturday about my week at the beach house..surfing and hanging with 

friends....

And ... I was dozing off while blogging ... And I didn't save it... And my I phone turned off because of low battery.... As I lost all of it :-(....

So here I go again!!

Last week I stayed at my friends house pet/house sitting .... Yes the house I can walk to the beach and usually take beautiful pictures of Sunsets..

So arrive Sunday ... Drive to Long Beach to meet Tracy...And Tracy and I ride bikes from her house to downtown Long Beach to join our friend Tamra and few of her friends to celebrate her Birthday... Was great fun and great conversation with a bunch of great gals!!

Monday 

Tracy,her friend Kevin, Irma ...

We head out and surf at Bolsa in the morning .... T23.. As I said ... I had better days and worse days.. But it was a surf day... So that's all that matters!! 2-3 and some shape but nothing great! Caught a few so no complaints!!

As I was taking pix and walking back to my Tahoe I run into my friend and ding repair guy Alain..(if you need his services get in touch with me and I will hook you up) we make plans to connect later with his lovely gal Lisa and BBQ at their new house! Was a very nice evening! Thank you again guys!

The lovely Lisa and I

Tuesday

Doho day!!! Was suppose to meet hubs who was shore fishing in the bay... But we missed each other...

It was Tracy and I and we had fun... Again not the best Doheny day.. Small but fun..plus happy to run into some Blackies crew guys Mike and Bart!! I came running at them and they were all like....Who's this crazy girl??! I said uh shut up you know you love me..;-)... Tracy and I had snackage and went back out for a minute :-) again caught a few water was nice... But nothing really exciting!

Wednesday 

Well morning did not look good to me at Bolsa and I had friends who surfed Bolsa and heard not worth going out... 

So I laid out walking distance from the house im staying at! It was nice to relax...

As I'm laying there I'm thinking surf looks decent should have brought my board!! (also hear later some did surf Bolsa and had a great session that day)

 Irma went for a bike ride and came and saw me while i was relaxing and said heard there was an evening glass off night before... So we decide to hook up later and do an evening surf !

We meet up at Bolsa around d 5:30 and go out and get worked ... Beat up and spit out!! I could not get outside... I almost did and I get caught in a breaking wave took me all the way back... And the drift was killer... Just dragged us North as we tried to get out :-(.

Irma and I meet on shore after getting our butts handed to us and beat up for 20 min!! And decide to head to Blackies ... I drive in wetsuit and all!!

We surf north of the Jetty because at 6:20.. Blackball was still up!!! 

But it was a gentler wave and it was nice to be out for an evening surf! We had fun... Small 1 footers Short little rides .. But rides none the less!!

It was enjoyable!!

We surf till almost 8:00 pm evening came to other side of jetty after blackball went away... Probably close to 7:00 pm!!!! Wow.

Surfed a little on that side... Caught nothing really then...

We say goodbye and see what tomorrow Thursday brings!

Thursday... Rainy drizzly non surf day! 

Day to relax and I tidied up the house I was staying at... Hung out with the animals and watched TV...

Took Otto for an evening walk... 

Friday!!!

Connected with fellow blogger Matt from El Porto Surf blog!!!!

He shows up to Bolsa T20 with a few of his surf buddies Dais and Khang and I also get to meet his gal Brianna!

What is up with Khangs facial expression !?!?! 

As for surf .... Not my idea conditions ... They are all short borders .. Well Brianna had a bigger board! And a lot younger !

My friend Irma shows up and says ummm no!! She is not joining us for the crazy surf session... It was a tad big and it was barreling not like pipeline ... But not what I go out in.. And the north drift was horrific!! As I'm on shore stretching and watching a lot of wipe outs!!! But I decide to try  and get out twice and was pulled a tower away in seconds and never made it outside... Gave up and met

Irma on shore and watchedfor a bit I kept cringing and saying ohhhhh!!! Whoa !!!! Yikes!!! 

But the young friends of mine are doing fine!! I even see Brianna take a nice ride in...

Matt stayed out and never came in and everyone else rode a wave in got out walked south a few towers rode a wave in to be dropped off far south and get out and do this again and again.

Matt is doing the most surfing but I saw Khang and Dais doing ok too!! 

Matt catches this one wave and does a fancy maneuver at the end and waves at me like a boy showing off for his mom!!! Very cute!! I wave back and he carries on..

I got very protective watching them and trying to keep an eye on all of them! Like a momma duck watching her ducklings!

They all get out and replenish...

We go back in and we are all over the place I again try to get outside and same ole thing... I decide to play in the white wash it was powerful enough..But.

I did manage to almost get outside and I could have made it... But the wave looked really good and I was in the perfect position ... So I went for it and caught a very nice left.. And if I was at Blackies that would have been a long ride!!

I decided to end on that note!!

I stayed on shore and watched a bit more until everyone came in...

After that we talked for a few and take some pix and go our separate ways!!! 

For such a hard surf day.... It Ended up being nice!! 

I went back to the beach house tidied up and packed and headed home!

Whew!!!! What an almost week!! 

Sharing The Stoke!!

Almost a week ago Wednesday I took some great kids out to learn to surf..my nieghbor and Friend Mitzi and her daughter Kirsten came out to enjoy the Beach with us!

Remember my dear friend Lorri who passed away last November... Well it was her husbands Niece, Nephew and his Girlfriend.. I made a promise to the niece Meghan that I would take her surfing since she lives so close to the beach and for them to just ask!! So her mom kathy took me up on that.. I am very happy she did.. Most people always say oh can you take me surfing ? I always say sure!! But to never hear anything about it again!!... So I was extremely stoked to get the request! Although you know I can just get beginners through the basics!

We met at Seal Beach... Dalton and Emily are 21 and College Students live in Missouri... And Meghan is 19 and lives in Seal Beach..

It was not the best surf conditions 2-3 feet of close outs... Walls of water .....no shape!! But good for a first day and getting to know the board and ocean and basics!

I never really gave lessons except for my kids and my sister And never took 3 people out at one time... Was a bit worried about it... But since they were older.. It worked out great!

I had my 8'0 foam board... An 8'0 foam board I also borrowed from a friend... And my 8'0 "Mo".... My precious!!! 

I give them the basic land lesson and explain the parts of a surfboard and what it does ... Have them stretch... Tell them about the surf condition they are headed out into and how to do the Sting Ray Shuffle!!!

I tell everyone to pick a board ... And since I talked up Mo so much and how I love this board more than my husband... Everyone was afraid to use him!! I say oh don't worry!! I have some great ding repair guys... It's ok!!! 

So in the long run.... They all took turns!!

Now as mentioned we are at Seal... "Sting Ray Bay" and I have never been out barefoot and exposed without a board.. So I'm taking them out and I think I did the StingRay Shuffle the hardest!! 

And Yeah saw 6 rays.... Well 5 and felt one... They all could have been the same one but I doubt it!!

So we all wade out... Then I have them all paddle to the outside!! Lucky for me chest deep water!!

I push each one into a wave so they can feel it... Yell paddle and pop up!!

Took a bit ... Of Course... But they all got to catching their own waves really fast!! And they were all Stoked!!

I have to Say Meghan was the happiest!! She had the biggest smile... Just paddling for the wave and anticipating it!!

Took them a bit to get up... They all were up for a second... But in their defense ... If they had at least a 9'0 board and the white wash was not so bumpy!! "I even got bumped off twice trying to get up in it!!"

They would have been cruising! 

Dalton has the longest ride!! Emily caught on the quickest... And Meghan had THE most fun!! I will be surprised if she does not have a surfboard by the end of this summer!!!

They were out for 3 hours!!! And they did admit it was harder than they thought..a we or most of us remember that the first time out... 

After two hours I sat on shore and watched them and ran out if I felt something was wrong ... Like when Emillys board hit her in the face !! She was fine!!

Kirsten who is 9 wanted to give it a try... So I pushed her into some white wash!! She was so cute! Her mom didn't get the pix of her getting up... These I phones are not the best for pix... But it was all we had! And her momma Mitzi is getting a bit curious about surfing too... Maybe my next lesson????

As for the rest of the day....

Dolphins came out too and were very close!! 

Seriously it was a great day!! It was the perfect first time out surf day!! And I was stoked ... They were stoked and I think the Dolphins were stoked!!

The kids left and Mitzi, Kirsten and I head for lunch and as we are leaving the parking lot we see the surf school instructor and a student who were right Next to us in the surf... Soaking thier feet!! They got hit!!! 

Im Thankful none of us did.. And that the day went very well! 

Doho Dawn Patrol

This was when we first arrived... Doesn't look bad right??? None of my pix show what we went through!! OR...

Looks can be deceiving!!

So our neighbor Daryl.... Who I would like to mention is 67 young!! He is awesome!! Just got back into surfing this year... He use to surf in his youth.. And tells everyone if you surf don't stop... It is hard to get back in.. Especially at my age....

He ROCKS!!! And I might add does not look his age at all.. I tell him I want to surf well into my 70's and he said I should have no problem if I keep at it !!!

Any way he  told hubs he wanted hubs and I to surf Doho with him on Monday... I was yes yay of course!!! Plus he would drive... That's always nice too...

But then hubs tells me... Dawn Patrol got to get up before 4:30 am and Daryl is picking us up at 5:00 am....

Me....>>>...:-/

But I get up at 4:00 and am already to go by 4:45!!

Tired... Not sure why we had to do a Dawn Patrol... But did one none the less..

Was in water by 6:00 am.. 

Waves looked a bit fast and some sets looked ok ... Others and majority... Not so much!

I stretch on land as they paddle out... More I watch ... Less I like what I'm seeing...

No real shape to the waves but they were about 2-3 with some 4 and even overhead sets on occasion!! But pretty much all big ole walls of close outs... 

I walk back and forth with my board deciding where to go out... A big set rolled in where I thought I would paddle out... Change my mind walked back south a bit... And yet again one random big set comes in... I wait for some sort of break and paddle out...

Water smelled like a toilet ... Yuck!!! 

Plus forgot to mention when we gotb there the bathrooms were filthy and the grounds full of trash!! Worse I have seen Doho.. Apparently that weekend was a surf festival... You would think surfers would not leave the beach like that!! Big disappointment to me!!

Any way back to surf...

Very few shoulders and when there were ...the good surfers got them... However Daryl and his 9'0 foam board were catching everything.. 

Hubs and I not so much... I did catch a few close outs.. Was catching more than hubs at the time...And did have a few wipe outs.. And honestly... I was not having fun I got worked trying to get outside.. And worked sometimes catching waves and wiping out.. Surfed almost an hour got out and watched from shore...

These waves sucked... Not the Doho I love!!

I had no desire to go back in!!!

I see hubs and Daryl both catch the same wave it was good.. Daryl took it all the way inside... Brian jumped off so he didn't have to fight getting back outside.

Then Hubs goes for a big one.. It was over head and when he went for it..my stomach dropped and I thought it was gonna be a nasty wipeout...

BUT he popped up dropped down and rode it for a bit.. Not all the way to shore but for a while! I was impressed!!! Where is a camera when ya need one!!

He was totally stoked on that wave... But after that he tried to get back outside and got whipped!!

He decided to come in... Tide was changing too from high to low... And the waves were weird..

Daryl came in too.. He said it was getting a little difficult... But he was having a blast... He kept saying it was his board and thinks everyone should get a 9'0 wave storm... LOL

Just FYI he has a Becker UFO and another board he was riding prior to purchasing his foam boards .. But he decided to go to foam.. And has a lot less struggles ... To each their own:-)

We wait get some water/coffee... the tide drop surf gets smaller and a tad better..

For some reason I thought surf got bigger when tide goes out.. But Really it got smaller... Am I backwards on this?? See I'm still learning!

Anyway.. I decide i do want to go back in and I want to surf the spot I surfed the last few times i was at Doho... So we all go out there...Just a little North down the beach... Just a few yards..

I catch more waves and am happier .. But I was tired and felt a little out of it... Maybe got up too early!!!

We surf another hour there.. Also My friend and life saver Mike shows up and says hi..

But it was time to call it a day... Plus surf school was just getting set up ...hard to surf with all the kids in the water.

We all take a nice ride in!! Probably my fav ride of the day...

We stop to eat some breakfast.. It's like 9:30sh after we leave Doho..

Was it worth getting up so early... Uh No.. Not to me ... Except there were not a lot of peeps in water...  The Only plus..

Dawn Patrol Doho.... No go!!

Daryl calls hubs later that night and they decide to get up early again Tuesday and head to San Elijo... Well I was not invited... Boys trip.. Anyway I had NO desire to get up at 4:00 am!!

Funny they get all the way there and neither one can surf it.. Said it was too big for them..

They end up at Doho... And were home by noon!!! I was shocked!! I would think that much traveling would be a day adventure at least!!!!