Picasso Report: 9/12

So, with Merv's prodding, I signed up for the Picasso open this year.  I'm not sure why I haven't in the past.  I think its because I don't want to find out how bad a diver I am....for 60 bucks.

Anyway, being a surfer, I'd been following the swell predictions for a few days before, and sure enough, a Gulf of Alaska storm swell was predicted to hit the morning of the contest.  Sure enough, it did.  A ten foot (on the outside) swell with a 16 second interval.  A juicy swell.

I meet up with Merv and a local friend, Dave, at 0630 in the morning.  Merv and Abman (good meeting you, dude) decide to paddle north to the point, and Dave and I decide to drive down the coast to some less picked over spots.  We went to site after site only to look out over swirly, brown, and heaving waters.  I knew if I jumped in, that's what I would be doing......heaving.

So, being old and a local, I made the call that I was not jumping in that shit.  Dave and his friend readily agreed.  It was worth the 60 bucks not to dive.

We head back to Caspar at 1330 for the contest awards, and guess what?  Hardly anyone went out (except for stout guys like Amphibian and Abman), and no one caught crap.  The winning fish was a single blue, I think the only fish shot.  The winning ab was a little less than 9.5".  So, then I'm thinking, man, I might have been able to get better than that right in the cove - I blew it.  I know a few deep inside spots where there's some over 9s.

But in the end I was stoked:  Because so few folks dove, they just raffled off the gear.  I end up with a brand new awesome Picasso wetsuit and my friend Dave got like a 48" gun.......although we didn't get any glory.  Still, 60 bucks for a free-dive suit is not to be complained about.

Although I've been a free-diver for a long time, I never really connected up with the free-dive community before.  What a great bunch of stoked and friendly folks!  I'm definitely signing up for it next year, even if it means I find out that I suck  

Afterward:  This isn't really part of the report but it's kind of interesting.  When this swell came through (first of the season), all I really wanted to do was surf the cove at Point Arena.  So, after the contest, my friend Mike and I bomb down there.  As soon as we pull up, there's a few guys on the rights, but the lefts are like 1.5 -2 x overhead, with no one on them.  Big clean juice.  So we paddle out and start getting these great waves.  After a while, we get a little too comfortable, sitting a little too inside, and a big (I mean BIG) cleanup set comes barreling through.  Both Mike and I get thrashed like there's no tomorrow.  I got the worst of it.  I got held down for longer than any time I can remember.  I thought i was going to drown - really.  

At the point that I totally expected that this was the end, I have say I panicked.  I freaked out and kicked with all my might to get back up, which I finally did - only to be face to face with another bomber.....shit.  Somehow I made it through and back out to the line-up, gasping for every trace of oxygen that I could get.  Another guy that paddled out after Mike and I said he was watching my board tombstone for like forever, but he couldn't get in to help.

Anyway, in my panic, I kicked so hard that I tore or pulled all the muscles in my groin and down the hamstring of my right leg.  Just from sheer, adrenalized panic.  I'm limping like an SOB now.

Sometimes i wonder why we do these things - and I just got an application for the AARP in the mail.  I haven't gotten any smarter in my old age.

Sounds like an adventure, Dave - I'm glad you're OK!  It's a bitch getting older, but at least you're still out there killing it!  WTG on surviving.   

DW, great report!
events like that one can shake you to the core. pushing your body to injury is such a special kind of fear. god speed in your recovery both physically and spiritually. hands still shaking? has taken me days to recover my confidence and even weeks to get back on the water.
That which does not kill us makes us stranger

how did Caspar look for surfing boats?

Thank you for the report Dave.  Wishing you a speedy recover.

Dave, I know you are a smart guy so I dont need to say shit to you except get better soon. I really dig your energy and fishing with you is totally cool. We dont bend so good anymore, but we break a little easier. Old dudes rule. You are gonna need a bigger belt with all the new lessons to put under it. Craig

Weird.  Yesterday was the same for me....cleanup set about twice the size as everything else that day came rolling through.  Seen it coming and paddled hard at it.  Was able to duck into the face of it but it sucked me into it and tossed me over the falls backwards.  Board got ripped outta my hands, got thrown into 2 or 3 backward summersaults and my leash got wrapped around my neck. Was upside down and had to climb the leash to figure out which way is up and untangled at the surface. Didn't get the "this is it" feeling but it was definitely a wake up, it ain't crappy summer windswell anymore.  

Why do we do it.....cause its fun.....best of luck to your groin

Dave I'm glad you are mostly ok and able to talk about it. I guess some close calls make you appreciate things more, speaking as another OG.

Dave,

thanks for the fishing report and for sharing your harrowing tale. You've never really lived until you've almost died. For those who get after it, we're always inches or seconds from having what I call a moment of truth.

But you know what brother, you did get after it, and that fickle mistress we call the pacific, nearly dealt you the death card. You found yourself in the blackness and you walked out the other side. That is a profound event. You'll not forget it and you should be proud you fought through it and won.

Shannon

You are a very smart man, i am suprised anyone dove in that swell. Next year i might have to sign up, if everyone is that smart and wont dive when conditions are bad then it must have been a fun get together, instead of a panic looking for missing divers.

It was totally diveable you just needed to pick your spot.  Amphibian, myself and a non-NCKA Brian G went to infiltrate the Ling hold that our own Brian G calls his........but to no avail.  It was a washing machine on top of it.  No Fish and No Abs for me but it is always good to get wet and see a few of the NCKA crew (Amphibian and Squidly) and meet some new (DaveW).  My Dive buddy the non-NCKA Brian G got a nice ab over nine which placed him in the prize table pick for a pair of fins that retail for over $500.  My random raffle prize table pick was way down the list and still got a nice titanium knife.  Amphibian scored too....but I'll let him tell ya.

Aside from fighting off this recend Cold I caught, GREAT EVENT.

I'll just need to ask Santa for that new freedive suit I've been trying to win for three years now.  I guess the one I win next year can just be my spare. 

Brian G  - if you make it out to your ling hole, just to the south of it in about 40' of water you might find my ab bar, dive light and 10" gauge.  My lesson learned for the weekend is....you can't be diving that deep in those conditions with a 35' float line.  I pulled the line and it broke off the $100 worth of trophy ab hunting gear in the rocks below.  Some times the sea give and sometimes she takes away.   

Rich Van Dusen of Spearboard found my gun and I'm getting it back tomorrow. I'm going to have to take him a freediveshop gift certificate. He makes some very beautiful ab bars for sale. Let me know if anyone is interested in a custom bar with your name etched in it.

how did Caspar look for surfing boats?

Thanks for the sympathy about the groin strain, guys.  Mike is making bad jokes about me not being able to spread my legs.  

Hydro, there were some OK yak surfing waves at Caspar.  Clean, but a little close to the beach.

Merv, you're stoked about your gun.  I went a looked for it.  Great folks...guy finds a $300.00 speargun and returns it - online.

Hi Dave:

         Now you have seen "The Edge" in Mendo. I've
been there and have the T-Shirt. I took a huge step
back from "The Edge" this April at VanDamm.
         It's doesn't matter how gracefully but,
 you pulled your own Ass out! 
                                                       Play Safe
                                                       Ernie

Dave, Double over-head outside P.A lefts with offshores is like Pipe but with 50* water. Always sweeper sets.....always. Glad you made it. You've got bigger nads than me bro. How big were the rights and did you take a look at Whiskeys? I played 'jump the shorebreak' with William102's kids down at Doran beach and then surfed the 4ft closeouts for an hour of good, and safe, exercise. No killer waves for me but playing with the carpet gophers was fun.   jim

How big were the rights and did you take a look at Whiskeys?

Jim, the rights were bigger with about 8 guys on it.  I never got a chance to look at whiskeys.  Coming from the north, the first place we looked at was the cove.  When we saw how clean the lefts were, with no other takers, we just bombed out there.  It was actually not that formidable - except for that one set from hell.