My Recent Visit To Father Time's Surf Camp

[Scott]

You guys all put the jinx on me now! I won't be able to get my big head through the door sideways, and I'm doomed to get pitched out on every single wave for the next month to humble me...even if I surfed Bolsa Chica.

Gsurf, that's quite a story. And a crew of kneelos caught up in it all.

I've never seen the Lane that big, where it's actually slamming up the cliffs and out onto the road. I can't imagine being out in that and realizing the only safe exit point is the beach at Cowells or the Rivermouth, 1 1/2 miles away. We all have to know our limits and the limits the ocean puts on us.

Which brings to mind my favorite surfing quote of all time, attributed to the accomplished British poet, Lord Byron (1788-1824). Supposedly, he body surfed fairly regularly and loved the ocean:

"He who does not fear the ocean will surely drown,
but he who fears the ocean will only drown every now and then."

[DrStrange]

Winter '69-70 I chased a wave in my car driving along West Cliff headed towards Steamer's from Stockton Ave. It was approx cliff high, WAAAAAAY out in the kelp beds and peeling along in a perfect barrel. I was going fast as I could and stay on the road and watch the wave at same time, about 35-40 curvy mph and I was just barely keeping up...Had scary dreams for a week just from seeing it.

[gsurf]

Hey Gsurf NO I don't recall ever being out with the helos over head for my sake. But I've been on the helping end of a lifesaver rope pulling a surfer straight up a cliff on daya like that. I've also seen a drowning in surf like that in the coves just north of the Lane. We call It beach and there is no beach in the winter at High tide.

The only situation I recall being involved with was when a standup was slammed into the cliff at the point.
You know when the tides high and the swell's not big there's that take off point in front of the cave that walls up across the cliff face, makeable but you can't hesitate.
Me and another guy watched this fellow take off pretty deep. Looked like he was going to make it past the cliff but the wave sectioned in front of him just as he was in front of the cliff. He tried to kick out but got sucked over the falls in front of the cliff. Next thing we know he floating face down, out cold and about 10 feet from the cliff. We paddled over to him and I reached him first. Turned him over and his nose is split right down the middle like someone took a cleaver to it. Pretty nasty, he may of face planted into the cliff or his board. I was an Army medic orderly and used to blood and guts but this still looked awful. The tourists on the cliff called an ambulance and me and the other guy swam the injured guy into the stairs were the medic came down and got him with a basket. Never heard how he recovered because I never saw him again. I don't think he was local.

[Man O' War]

Ok bro, the jig is up. I've been your body double for a long time. Come clean and tell em who that really was on The Wave.

With brotherly affection,
Man O' War