(click
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When:
Where:
Weather:
Surf:
Tides:
Who: |
Tue.,
December 31, 2002 - 6:30am-9:30am
Wilderness
Sunny with morning glass,
water ultra clear (trunks & shortsleeve lycra)
4-7' with current running
to the west
High
Alex & Rod and three
others with crowd growing to 30+ |
Getaway
Day. Pre-packed most of our stuff the night before so we could get
an early morning surf. Up pre-dawn and headed straight up to Wilderness
where dawn broke slowly over the mountains. This is good because according
to alt.surfing's Alvin Donovan the waves are bigger as the sun rises over
the hill and mountains... and so it was since the wind and swell was smaller
as we departed. Today was a better overall wave selection and riding
day for me but less so for Alex who did very well yesterday. Two
others and myself alternated the set waves on the eastern peak just beyond
the parking lot w/Alex in-and-out as he as caught inside battling the incoming
tide but set waves during paddle outs. We each saw several large
turtles rising high in the swelling waves. One of my memorable waves
was a crusher right from the throwing lip on the take-off until the end
aobout 75 yds down the line--the lip and furball simply banged on me all
the way! Also rode some very nice walls with steep drops and long
sections to work with roundhouse cutbacks into the curl and down the line
again.
Post session grind request
by Alex was a Panaderia Eileen (Aguada) criolla calzone. I treated myself
to a flan de vanilla and cafe con leche. Also picked up half-pound of pan
fraceis for the trip home. After clenaing out the car, washing down
the surf gear, stripping the wax, getting showers and saying goodbye to
our friends at the Villa, we headed into Rincón for our getaway
lunch at The Paradise. Alex had their fresh tuna sandwich; Beth the chuletas
with arroz con gandules; and I feasted on a pastele with arroz con gandules.
Fresh squeezed jugo de china for all of us and a shared platter of tostones
and amarillos.
|
| sunset pic here |
Wrap
Up: We had two good runs of surf during this trip with a brief
spell of flat to small surf during which time we rested our
bodies and enjoyed our vacation doing other things, including several additional
beaches for the Surfrider Foundation's Beachscape program. Highlights of
the trip included Alex and I surfing small Tres Palmas (8-12') and a large
Table Rock (well overhead). I also surfed Table Rock solo in the 5-6' range.
Another treat was Jim Crotty's pig roast where we spent several festive
hours chatting with new friends, comiendo, and browsing through Jim's collection
of pictures he has shot of local breaks furing this past year. What
amazed me the most on this trip were the crowds--everywhere from Maria's
and Domes to Wilderness. On our last day alone there must have been a doxen
people out at Indicators along with hordes at maria's and Domes, not to
mention the swelling crwod at Wilderness. Where did they all come
from this year? I can't recall a year quite this crowded during our last
six winter trips. Maybe it's a result of the "War on Terrorism" with less
people traveling to foreign destinations, especially those with an Islamic
population.
Christmas is always a special
time to be on the Island as spirits are up and the Borinquenos are ramping
up for the Twelve Days of Christmas that lasts through Three Kings Day.
Sorry we will miss out on Epiphany this year, but we can't complain. Felicidades! |
Back to NW
PR December 2002
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