I had a choice this weekend, stay comfortably at home, or go somewhere. I had three days off but no particular location in mind. The forecast called for light winds and sunny skies. I told myself there had to be some clear water somewhere along the coast. I’ve never driven past Big Creek in Big Sur, so I thought I’d take a road trip down the 1 and visit a friend at UC Santa Barbara. There was still a moderate NW wind from Monterey to Bixby Bridge, but around the bend at Partington Cove, only a very mellow breeze. I could see the boulders and kelp through the emerald blue green waters.

The drive didn’t feel lengthy at all, partly because I was stopping at almost every turnout and checking out the view. Some of the notable stops were Sand Dollar Beach, Elephant Seal Vista Point, and Morro Rock. I made it to Goleta right in time for sunset, stopping at the Vista Point off the highway. Driving down the coast made me realize how much of my own backyard I haven’t even explored yet.

The NWS issued a gale warning with NNE winds forecasted to gust 45+ mph. While others would probably try and stay indoors for the day, I thought of two south facing coastal regions that might be groomed offshore. I worried it may be too offshore, similar to the day in October, but you never know unless you go. As I pulled up late morning to my favorite spot in Santa Cruz, I was delighted with the sight of decent size lines and every wave was the epitome of a green room. The wind gusts were strong enough to shake my SUV at times. As I suited up and climbed down to the beach, I unexpectedly saw my old bodyboarding buddies, who were also getting ready to paddle out as well. We all had a couple hours of fun, I met some new folks out in the lineup and was able to send them photos afterward. These are the days I live for.