|
The fight between the sun and the fog continued for a few more hours and I had a funny roller coaster ride all the way to Exeter. On the hills it was sunny and clear but getting down to the valleys was a dive into a thick fog over and over again. The last hours on the motorway were sunny with nice views on the bright autumn colours of the moors. I reached the bay of St. Ives in the afternoon. To my disappointment the swell seemed to be delayed and all that was on offer was a slobby little wind swell. I went for a longboard session to get rid of the stiffness from the long drive.
Sunday morning I drove to the entrance to the Sandy Farm, full of expectations about what the Atlantic would offer today. The forecast for the morning promised 4 – 5ft @ 17 sec., with a peak in the afternoon with 7 ft and the same high period. The wind should blow light from the east, turning north in the afternoon. The gate to the farm was still closed, so I went for a walk to check the swell.
As I finally reached the dunes I saw what I wanted to see. Or maybe even more then I wanted to see. The wind was light offshore. The incoming swell was definitely a high period ground swell. The size of the resulting waves was already at my actual personal limit (due to minor fitness caused by sitting too much behind desks) but makeable. I rushed back to the gate that in the meantime had been opened by the owner of the farm. I paid my fee, drove to the parking lot and went for another check. The waves were perfectly clean but the 4ft manifested itself in double head high faces more and more frequently. The sun was still struggling with the morning fog and added even more magic to the impressive swell.
next page >>>
|
