July 4th for me has always been spent up on sebago lake in Maine with my family, up until this year.
Yesterday I went down to the OC, specifically at Newport beach. We wanted to get an early surf session in, so we left at 5am to get down there by 6 or so.
We get to newport, and it is a nice morning. Overcast but warm..great temperature. The surf is great, most waves had good organization, and were probably head-high. I actually decide to wait to put on my suit and get in the water, because I sort of just want to chill out and relax. So for about 2 hours, until 8am, I was just sitting out on the beach watchinng all the sufers catch their waves while me and my buddy Jon Morales talk about boy things. I.E. Girls.
so we get in the water and paddle out just far enough past where the waves are breaking to catch some. At this point I start seeing dolphons surface and dive 50 feet or so away. Very cool.
I look back behind me to see a big wave coming and likely to crest a little in front of me. I start paddle forward in hopes to catch it. it catches up with me, annd I am paddling fast enough to catch the crest. I start to feel myself being propelled no longer by my arms, but by the wave. I look to my left and see dophins right next to me in the wave, riding it too. Nothing short of breathtaking. it looks something like this:
Unfortunately I am on my brother's short board, and try to stand up, but fail miserabley. I tank, flip over a couple of times, and my board flys out of my hands. I fall into the wave and grab my head and tuck into the fetal position terrified tat the board is going to come back and slice my head. Fortunately I am ok.
I go back out in hopes to catch another wave. I am able to catch one more before the blackball signs go up, and we can no longer surf.
