McPhilly's: Finally surf and ... a porpoise. No, not with a purpose, with a porpoise!

So, 6:20 am. In a state for craving a little overdue surf time. Even with a neck ache it was going to be.

Just the right size surf for SUPsperimentation

I check the L.I. buoy 20 miles offshore, and then Lincoln Ave. Long Beach cam.

Buoy: swell 2.3 ft per 6+ secs
Cam: Glass.waves. 3 surfers out already.

I ejected myself from bed like a pilot from a burning fighter plane.

Forget the "loo," forget the coffee, forget food, forget Starbucks, forget everything ... just get there before the booth pass checkers arrive at 8. (correction, they arrived at 9...but earlier was better)

Put on the wetsuit at home, to be prepared to roll on arrival, and drive.

Today's vehicle of choice for SUP, prone, and knee-surfing

7:30 I'm at Mustangville board in hand ready to go.

Note the surfer carrying a small fish board in-between the red flags

Can't believe my luck. How can this be? I have perfect little knee-to-rib high, glass-off waves, with the best ones peeling left off the jetty at Mustangville. Only a couple of other surfers out on the next jetty. Nobody got the memo I guess, but last night — final pre-bedtime check — seeing a forecast of light E wind in the a.m. told me there would probably be a little surfable swell by dawn.

A swell height of 2.3 ft at the buoy was more of a gift than I expected, and it delivered just the right mix for a "in-my-dreams" easy day to surf SUP this new board.

But it wasn't that easy. Wasn't easy at all.

I'm still getting used to the 9'6 Fanatic Allwave SUP, and while it feels it has the volume, there was more than enough kooking-out going on in my department to embarrass even the most loyal friends. But the were spared, since they were all AWOML (absent without Mustang's leave). snoozing or scattered to other spots.

Great cycling day in LB for a lot of folk.
The street is mostly back but the city needs a lot
more work.Still plenty of closed businesses.

The climbing back aboard and paddling around for waves got to be quite the workout —this never happens Supping on the bay -- not unlike a bike ride, until I settled into a groove. and calmed down a bit.

Finally caught a wave that made the struggle it worthwhile. Though I'm not sold on the big stinkbug wide stance you need with these goliath boards...but it's either that or a dunking, so ... wideum-styleum it is.

SO, as I paddle in a big loop around for the next set, I see something round and black doing some kind of slithering, rotating hump movement in the ocean about 100 yards further out. "Holy cow! that looks like a freaking porpoise or small whale."

I figure I must have imagined it -- maybe it was a piece of chop.
But there was no chop at that point. Only glass-off and swells.
Woah!

A few strokes later, looking out to sea, and sure enough the large black thing surfaces again, in a round, revolving humpiness, then slips back again under water.

Paninis and Bikinis is still dishing out
ridiculously smorfable
nosh. Sidewalk eating area open.

I think I see what looks like a tail fluke, but NO fins. Good! So my guess remains a
porpoise or a small whale, not the graysuit fellas.

Can't wait to hear if there were any other sightings reported today ... he, she or it, was headed toward Lido beach and Jones Beach.

Another surfer who came to the shoreline to check the waves, whistled and waved his hands over his head and pointing out to sea.

Yes, I shouted, deafly into the impossible distance. Then, ... holding my arms fully outstretched, paddle in hand, I gesticulated back to him the universally understood sign language for "it was THIIIIIIIIS
GINORMOUSLY BIIIIIIG."

Just wow, what an experience.

I wanna do that again. mmmm mmmm yeah. Hope my neck does not act up as a result -- that was really quite the workout.