At the west end of Cabrillo beach near the rocks there were sets of 3+ foot well shaped waves. To catch them you had to be willing to take off heading straight for the stone wall, and then make the turn to the right missing the wall, then turning out before going over the reef. It was fun, but sets were a few minutes apart so we headed off around point Fermin to Point Fermin Park.

On the way and the way back we played for a while right in the lee of Point Fermin. There is a little spot that forms a very energetic washover where the swell (even a small one) turns into a very lively current. Current goes over the washover and straight for the bluff, then circulates back out in a counter clockwise direction. If you time it right and get lucky on swell selection you can ride it over, around, and back out again in one smooth motion. On a good sized swell, you'll be 2-to-3 feet above the ocean level at about 270 degrees of the circle - very cool. If you're careful, you can even do that right-side-up. Someone almost always flips in there because the current changes directions so quickly, and it's a little different on every swell. Very fun, and this ride stays in service on all but the worst days of summer.

When we first arrived there were some decent sets with good shape to about 4 feet at Point Fermin Park. Vickie pitch-poled on about a 5 footer (the only one) and ended up swimming because her paddle was torn from her hand. After a long swim with the boat to shore she was back out in it.

A decent day and, in any event, any paddle trip is better than watching TV.

    Steve Brown