Saltwater for Breakfast

When I paddled in the other morning to say goodbye to Surf Sister Ashley, I stepped off my board and into a pile of seaweed hiding underwater. After a short scream and awkward squiggle out of the gross, scratchy pile of slimy stuff, I hugged her and paddled back out. I was on my own in the water for the first time in a long time. It was a Wednesday morning with Very Small Waves with a Long Wait in between them, so not many people were out. It was incredibly peaceful. I looked

Blackies parking lot on a Saturday morning is hopping from 5 am onward into the night. When I arrive in the summertime for dawn patrol at 5:30 am, it is difficult to find a parking spot. The fish market is open and there is already a line halfway down the lot. People leave with bags of fish, sea urchin, octopus, and shrimp freshly caught by the latest people in a long line of fisherfolk who have been working near this pier since at least 1888. The Dory Fish Market is notabl

Under the right conditions, I can make the turn to surf down the line. At first, catching a wave just means looking back and trying really hard to notice a good one. As a beginner, a kook, there are too many details to organize and you can only do one thing. That's why beginners are often dropping in on other people. But now, my awareness is expanded. Every time I catch a wave, there is a whole process. I am looking back out to sea to notice the green wave coming. I turn arou