A north wind was forecasted this weekend! Surfline gave Saturday morning a positive review offering first a blue forecast that changed to green (cleanest of clean waves) later in the week indicating big, beautiful waves. Unfortunately, not only did a north wind come through but another weather system stalled and came in from the south meeting the north "cool" front causing quite a bit of rain for southeast Texas. Surfers from all over were ready to descend on Galveston. As long as the lightning stayed away, surfing in the rain wouldn't be a problem. However, not everyone was expecting the crazy wind. Yes, the temps dropped just enough to make it a little chilly for wet people standing on the beach, but that didn't stop anyone as they planned for Saturday.
Friday first though! Friday afternoon is my usual surf day of course. The weather was stormy though
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Saturday was just plain sloppy!
(A view looking toward the
Pleasure Pier.) |
and the waves were a bit of a mess. It just wasn't worth it to go surfing. No one was out. They were all waiting for Saturday. I had already decided that rather than cycle on Saturday, I would surf because of the forecasted waves. I thought I would do a short 6-mile run at 5:30 a.m. and head down. But when I woke up, it was raining at my house, so I slept in. Early reports from Dude B indicated that the waves were big, but rather sloppy. He said he would check a little later, but if he were me, he wouldn't make the drive down. I visited a couple of webcams and saw crowds of surfers, but I had to agree that the surf looked sloppy. Because it was raining, I opted to go to spin class at the gym rather than bicycle. I popped Roxanne in the car though just in case I received a text from Dude saying that the waves had cleaned up and the surf was calling. The text never came. I later spoke to another surfer I knew who said he paddled out, but after about 30 minutes, came into shore because the waves were impossible to catch. I journeyed to G-town later that night for supper and drove along the beach. It was still a mess even at 5:30 in the afternoon, so I wasn't holding much hope for Sunday.
I received a text early from Dude B on Sunday saying that he would be giving lessons and that the winds might have lightened a bit. He warned that it was cool, but could possibly be worth a paddle out. I packed Roxanne and drove to the 43rd St. jetty. It was just as he had described it: a little messy, but if a person didn't mind waiting, a set would roll through. I paddled out and caught the first wave I paddled into and stayed for about an hour-and-a-half. I had a ball. The waves didn't last very long before fizzling out, but if you took them at just the right angle, it was possible to get a decent ride. I didn't have the best rides ever, but I did catch a few that made the trip completely worthwhile. I was a little chilly while waiting on the board, but I wasn't as cold as I thought I might be. Sometimes I just need a clean wave or two to clear my head. Things in life can get so confusing and catching a wave can help clear the cobwebs! So glad I had the opportunity to do that.
