From the dunes, the setup at Old Road looks very tempting- little itty bitty waves lapping up on the shore, an inner bar that looks fairly heavy but fun, and then an outer bar that gently throws and fizzles for upwards of 50 yards… Very inviting!
Until…
…you actually step foot into the ocean. Immediately, the sideshore current sweeps you off your feet. And you realize that there’s no shorebreak because the inner bar is shin deep and 25 yards wide, eventually opening into a little thigh deep tidal pool at water’s edge. That fun looking inner bar now looks mean, as it sucks out below sea level, hurls a thick lip, and then continues to churn all the way in, coming to rest in the little pool that you’re standing in.
A tiny puff fills your sail, just enough to lure you onto the board. As you drift with the currents, you inch your way closer to the heaving section. The water pushing in under the board gives you a sense of speed and power, that really isn’t there. As soon as the tidal push evens out, you sink to the bottom, with zero actual sail power. Just in time to watch the next wave heave, peel down the line, and then spit it’s churned up exhaust as the last section closes out just 5 yards in front of you. Ain’t no gettin’ over that one, so you get washed all the way back into the little pool, in a matter of seconds.
Yeah, I’m gonna go ahead and declare “Old Road” as unsuitable for windsurfing, at least for now. Maybe with more wind? Here’s the best moment of my windsurfing session this morning:
Other than that little swimming sesh, it’s actually been really fun down here for the last few days! We’ve had decent wind every day, 4.7 or 5.2, decent temps, and that chilly, overcast, spitting rain that keeps most normal people indoors. Luckily, we as windsurfers, know how to make the best of a crappy day!
Looks like more wind through the end of the week, with an emphasis on Thursday and Friday, which might provide the first real solid NW blow of the Fall. Reef Run, anyone?