We did some rocks on the way to white point and some surfing in the shore break of point Fermin park. The surfing at Point Fermin Park was pretty good and some long rides were possible. The break there is pretty manageable. Not as easy as bluff cove, but there is a wide soup zone for getting turned back around. I think it would be fun to do a "just surfing" day at that spot.

White point was really lit up yesterday. The waves were exploding over the reef leaving the safe area behind the reef bubbling and frothing white water. Very fun to play in and relatively safe.

Outside the protection of the reef things were not as friendly. One of us got off line and had an OBE over in the landing cove to the west of the point. This was resolved by launching in a calm "sub cove" adjacent the main cove.

On the way back into the reef from the cove I allowed myself to get off line at the worst possible moment. As the water was being sucked out from under me I looked up and saw the biggest wave I have ever seen in that spot (6+ feet). After a brief moment of denial (~1us) I threw myself into it and dug in to minimize impact and avoid a flip into the rocks. I still hit the rocks hard. First my boat was being scraped along the rocks (on its side), then my paddle blade, then my elbow. My boat caught on the rocks so I came to a rest sitting up stuck on a spine of rock. This was not good as the next wave would try to force a face plant into the rocks. I leaned my body, but the boat wouldn't budge. I reduced the force of the inevitable flip into the rocks with my paddle on the rock side, breaking the blade. Over the next few seconds I managed to get out of the boat, get washed with the boat off the rocks into a surge channel behind the rocks, and eventually back on my feet. Except for a very minor scrape and some small bumps I was uninjured, my jacket got a very small repairable tear, my plastic boat hardly looks any worse than it already did, and I really wanted to replace that paddle anyway. Apparently God was looking out for me (again). I have probably made that transition from the cove into the rocks at least 25 times over the last few years, so the lesson learned here is that no matter how many times you have paddled in a certain spot, there is no guarantee that the next time will be the same. Complacency is a bad thing on the water.

Anyway the rest of the trip was uneventful and relaxing. The wind stopped after a beautiful (more like spectacular) sunset. The air was clear and you could see lights across the water for miles. We had a relatively uneventful landing back at Cabrillo beach and called it a night.

Directions: From the 405 Freeway, go south towards San Pedro on the 110 Freeway, which will end and becomes Gaffey, go left on 22nd Street, go right on Pacific Avenue, go left on 36th/ Stephen White Street, go left into Cabrillo Park, and the beach we will be launching from is on the right.

    Steve Brown