Had to paddle out hard to avoid getting cleaned up, the farthest out I've had to paddle in quite some time here. Waves breaking way out on the 3rd outside reef and closing down the line, sometimes breaking on the rocks outside the dive rock before reaching the normal surf lineups. The smaller inside waves were where it was at, fast and hollow, sometimes too fast. Got caught behind a few curtains and held on in the whitewater to make it into the last racetrack.

The crowd thinned out after a big 10 wave set caught everyone inside including me, except for three or so guys who barely made it through each feathering lip. I had the joyful experience of first having to dodge the longboarders getting dragged to the beach and then trying to hold position and make it back out before the next set. Perserverance paid off as the five or so of us who remained for the next 10-15 minutes got a bunch of choice waves.

Of course, it didn't remain uncrowded for long. Then things really got packed as 20 or so people hit the lineup within a 15 minute time span, everyone rubbing elbows and 3-5 people paddling for each wave. This continued until three guys tried to backdoor the first wave of a set and took a trip into the big rock. Didn't see it happen, and at first I thought all the yelling was a fight of some kind breaking out. All three of them got pushed deep in amongst the crevices, trying to remove their leashes and duck the four or five remaining waves in the set without getting killed. Fortunately, nobody got hurt except for some minor scrapes. The boards were another matter, looking like they'd been run through a wheat thresher. By far the most harrowing thing I've ever seen in the water.

More waves tomorrow!