My first paddle out for the year was on Sunday (2/24). I was pretty stoked to get back in the water. Here it is March already and I have only been wet twice. Something wrong with this picture. I live up the street from the beach and all I ask for would be a little bit of consistency. My suit was great. I bought a Matuse. By far the best investment I have made lately. Smooth as silk and kept me warm, it's nice, I dig it.

Back to the sessions. Sunday was brewed up from a big low that pulled in from Siberia. It's cool to watch these storms develop and pass the earth blessing the shores with the waves they bring. The same storms eventually hit the North Shore of Hawaii and grace the rest of the Americas with a powerful swell that has crossed the Pacific and greets those of us who wait for these gifts of pounding surf. In the winter they don't have the affect here that they do at other breaks across the world. We are lucky to get anything out of them at all. Unfortunately our window is pretty small.

I went out the night before and did some heavy drinking at Zion, my friends bar. Joji-san owns and runs a bar at the far end of Zaimokuza beach in Kamakura. In the summer he opens a beach house, on the beach of course. Not exactly a beach house though, more like bar/restaurant at night and a place to grab some grub and rent beach items during the day. In Japan in the summer most of the beaches are lined with places called umi-no-ie (translates to beach house). They are only open for for the months of July and August. I was told by someone that the local beach commission (Yakuza) is paid around 20 grand each to allow one of these establishments to open. I guess people make out pretty good on a busy year.

I ended up rolling back in at the pad around 4 am. I awoke around 11 am greeted by a pounding headache and a dry parched throat. I left my bike at the bar and had to walk down the hill and get it. On the walk down I checked out the ocean from my favorite lookout point. To my surprise the beaches were lit up with a swell that I thought would have died out from the wind the night before. The ocean was dotted with a couple handful of people that decided to bare the cold and hit this swell that remained. I got my bike and rode on the beach to get a better look. My neighbor was down there too, gathering seaweed that was blown in overnight. He asked me if I was going to paddle out. Still battling a migraine, I knew it was inevitable that I'd be in the water. I decided I'd check the point and the outer reef. Osaki point had a nice little bump and only about five guys out. Joji-san was there on the seawall doing the same thing I was. The swell looked pretty good. Lines out to the horizon and a falling tide. I knew that in about an hour that it'd pick up and the wind would die down a bit. Joji-san was asking me if was going to hit up the point or the beach. I knew where I really wanted go, so passing up the point I decided I'd the river mouth with Joji-san. I rode my bike back up the hill and rested head with a tall glass of water and a Motrin. I slipped into my suit, gloves and booties. It was about 40 degrees outside. The water right now is chillin at a cool 50. I put my board on my bike and took off towards the beach.

I arrived to head high waves and about 20 people in the lineup. Not to bad considering that it was a Sunday. I guess most of the herd had hit it in the morning and called it a day. My first time in my new suit and I was anticipating pain as I entered the water. Nothing, not even a slight sting. I was bone dry. Now all I need to do is find a better pair of boots. I got on my board and made my way through the breaking waves to the outside. The wind was howling offshore and biting at every inch of exposed skin. The shower from the top of a passing wave beat down on you like pelting rain. I have learned to read the incoming waves at river mouth. Way out there is a spot where the wave will jack up just a bit. If you see this you know a big set coming. I don't think to many other surfers down there know this though. I sometimes am the receiver of an odd glance because I'll be the only one scratching to get out even further. Many a times I have seen the half the lineup has been washed out. Some of the regulars have learned to keep an eye on me. I think this is kind of funny because they have been surfing the same spot years longer than I have. Sunday was one of those days. I like to call them the big river mouth rights. I had gotten in about ten good rides before I decided that i wanted to get some backside action in. I paddled down the beach about 100 yards just past the antennas. Just then a nice four was set was racing in. I got the third wave and rode it all the way to the beach. A big mistake. I had to paddle out through three different sets. I got drained and drilled.

After about an hour and a half in to the session Joji-san called it quits. He had quit smoking this past summer a d blames that on the 15 kilo weight gain. This was also his first out for the year and he said he was feeling the weight he had put on. I think it also had something to do with the fact that he didn't have on his gloves. I could tell that cold was getting painful on the hands. A few other guys were also had succumbing to the numbing cold and retired for the day. Again, I was glad to be nice and toasty in my new suit. Thanks Matuse. I hope you guys make a full 2 mm. I would be happy to replace 3/2, and lavish myself with a new super warm more flexible thinner suit.

I stayed out for about 2 more hours and rode one lat wave in. Perfection, the sun was setting and an array of red, orange and pink was filling the sky with a splendor from the heavens. AN other day out. My first of the year. It was exhilarating, I hadn't used my surf muscles in a couple months and could already feel the effects. I love it, all of it, all time spent in the water is precious to me. I feel as if the ocean cleanses me. I am washed of any and all stress that has built up. I keep my eyes on the net. I am consumed with the daily checks of weather reports and great invention of LOLA. I will keep my eyes open. I need another swell. The paddle outs are food for my soul.