Honestly, it's hard to believe that there are places with more rain than Oregon in the spring. At least this spring. And at least places inhabited by humans. I can't even remember if we had a day completely without rain while I was there...
For my first day of surfing the Pacific on its east side (and therefore the west coast - all a question of perspective), the weather was reasonable, the waves where - let me state it this way: 'not the nicest conditions I've ever surfed in'. (See previous blog entry)
When I was renting my equipment in the local surf shop in Cannon Beach, I was chitchatting with the guy from the shop. He told me "tomorrow will be big! I won't go today, but tomorrow I will."
Of course I know that surfers talking about waves and fishermen talking about their catch is pretty much the same (every time they tell it, it get's bigger), nevertheless I decided to trust the expertise of a local and go again the following day, which would be in the narrative of this blog - today.
If today was "rainly", than all the other days so far would be sunny by comparison. It's one of those days where you come home, go into the shower and while showering, you think 'finally, I'm in the dry'.
I used to always say, the weather doesn't matter if you surf, you'll get wet anyhow - which is true, but today I realized that there is a difference: getting soaking wet from entering the sea or already while unloading the board.
I felt like the only way to tell where the ocean ends and the rain starts was the difference of salt water versus sweet water.
By the way, the guy from the surf shop didn't show up after all. :D
When I surfed, I was the only one out; but when I was leaving I encountered a group of surfers on the parking lot, me heading in, they heading out. Always eager to learn something from others, I wanted to wait and see them surf (especially if they were locals, they should know about the best spots on the beach. If they surf today, they will surf everyday. Must be a hardcore crew.)
Unfortunately, I had to strap the board to the roof of the car directly as the car didn't have a roof rack and the rain followed the straps inside the car. Until I finished strapping the board, the inside of the car already looked like somebody had a water gun fight in there. So I didn't wait until the other surfers finally got ready and drove back to town to get rid of the surfboard.
I drove all the way back to the beach (quite a bit through the forest on tiny roads that are not only curvy in one direction (left/right) but in two (additional up/down) and made it in time to see the guys surf.
Only to find out that they - hard to believe - surfed worse than I do!
The forest there is so green, that green goes from relaxing, comforting to threatening.
Honestly, you start thinking if you don't move for a bit, vegetation will try to seize you and you will start to get all green and mossy, too.
Warming up and chillaxing at fireside
After lunch, coffee, and a bit of reading I headed out once more to the beach to see if other surfers are there. Again, tiny curvy bumpy road through the forest in the rain. And really, there were 2 female surfers who arrived more or less the same time than I did.
Hoping to finally have somebody unveil the secret channels and spots on that beach to me, I waited patiently until they got suited up, walked down to the beach, warmed up, went in.
Only to find out that they where - now really clearly exceeding "UNBELIEVABLE" -
worse than the guys who went in after I came out...
Specialty of the Northwest: Espresso huts. Every now and then, you find a hut on the side of the street that functions as a drive through for espresso and espresso drinks. Not always the barista is as nice as Jessica ;)
