Driving over 150 miles round trip to pick up a surfboard that I found on Facebook Marketplace sounded like an adventure worth skipping for an introvert like me. But I kept going back to his post and looking at the red 7’6” Gerry Lopez Little Darling for $545. I compared the size, liters, and probability that this board would be better than the Donald Takayama 7’6 Egg and the 6’10 Scorpion 2. I questioned myself on if was worth waiting on this deal and hunting down the Gerry Lopez 7’ 4” or 7’ 8” Pocket Rocket instead. After weighing all the pros and cons I decided to write to the guy and set up a day to meet. After all I could always sell the board if I didn’t like it.
Tuesday night I shot my buddy Skip a text that I would be in his neck of woods on Wednesday, and I hoped that we could meet up for surf session at Ofre. I loaded up my car with a few boards and threw in a few extra boards to hand off to Skip if he wanted them. I needed to start creating some new space in my quiver since I’ve been picking up more boards lately. I check the Surfline camera and Ofre looked small but could have potential to be fun for me. I packed lunch, snacks, extra water, and extra suits that would make a day at Ofre comfortable.
Wednesday morning, I loaded up on coffee, mapped the route on my phone and headed south at 7:00 am. Traffic wasn’t that bad the entire time, but there were moments of frustration and nervousness. It took just under two hours to arrive at my first destination in Carlsbad. I shot the guy a message that I was there and came out with a factory packaged Surftech board. He cut the board free of the cardboard and wrapping. Wait, this thing is new! I was stoked! I picked it up and reminded me of one of my all-time favorite boards that I sold years ago, a 7’2 hybrid by Bob Barns. I had a really good feeling about this board and happily handed off the cash. I put the new board in the extra surfboard sock I brought and loaded it up in my car.
I shot Skip a message but didn’t get a reply. So, I headed north to Ofre. On the drive he called me where I was two exits away from Ofre and said he was thinking of hitting up Tamarack. “Man, I was just over there, but now I’m almost at Ofre. I’ll shoot you the update on the surf when I get there” I said. There was no line to get in when I arrive at 9:20 am. The road changed from paved to dirt and it reminded a little bit of the dusty dry seasons in Costa Rica. The surf looked waist high on the average wave and the sets were easily shoulder to head high and super fun. I found pretty good parking between Four Doors and Old Mans. I shot Skip a few quick videos and suited up.
I figured I’d start out on the Skin Dog 9’1 Blender and get a few waves under my belt since it was getting close to high tide. I tried to remember the last time I was here. Has it really been six years, yep 2019. I made the quarter mile paddle out at the right point north of Four Doors. There were less people there than Old Mans and it looked like a good way to start the day. I sat outside and picked off a clean right set. I made a big bottom turn, hit the lip and floated over the section with ease. I whipped it back into the pocket and ran the nose. The wave was so clean and just kept going, offering up endless possibilities. The average wave was around 150 yards. My longest wave was 178 yards. My checks began to hurt from smiling so much. It was so much fun and I knew I was on track to having a great day. I still had a four other boards in my car and didn’t want to drain too much energy in that first surf session. After about two miles of paddling I decided to get out, eat one of those burritos I packed and rehydrate.
Just as I walked up to my car I spotted Skip. He was parked three cars behind me. We talked boards and surf conditions as I chowed down on my burrito. I showed him the new 7’ 6” Little Red and told him about how stoked I was that it was new, never ridden, and it was in absolute perfect condition. Skip so, “so are you going to take it out next or are you going to wait for a good day back home?” Today was as good as any day to try it out. I planned ahead and had base coat and cool water Sticky Bumps surf wax on hand, and immediately started waxing it up. The waxed went on pretty quick and pulled off my FCS 2 fins from my 8’ 0” Gerry Lopez Pocket Rocket. I popped in the red fins, added the rope to the leash plug and attached my green leash. “Let’s do this,” I said.
The high tide was finally dropping and Old Mans was even bigger than earlier. The inside section had long clean lefts and it all looked very doable. The outside had big pealing waves that just kept going. The sun broke thru the morning clouds, the wind was very lite, and it all felt like a new day. As I was making the long paddle out, I was reminded again of my old 7’ 4” hybrid. This felt like it in so many ways, the shape, the rails, and the glide while paddling. I made my way to inside section and kept paddling. I settle in between the inside section and the main peak and waited for a wave. A midsize set rolled thru and they guy on the outside missed it, but I was on it. I pumped left, threw a big backside cutback and wrapped it back to the whitewash. Then made the next section, pumping down the line and ripping and cutback on the end section. Stoked! Oh this board is definitely what I needed.
I paddled over to Skip and told him this board is so fun, fast and loose. I paddled back out and the smile on my face grew even bigger. Wave after wave, lefts, rights it didn’t matter, the board just worked so well. Eventually I found myself out on the main peak with the three other guys that were the farthest out. Another big set roll up and somehow, I managed to catch it. I flew right and ripped a huge cutback, then another, then another. I was made each section with ease, with style and flow. When the wave ended, I was almost on the rocks, 254 yards away from where I started! My arms began to cramp but I made the long paddle out back to the main peak for more sets. After getting 12 waves I found myself way outside again, grinning like a little surf grom that just unlocked a new secret to understanding how to surf. I looked down to adjust my leash on my ankle and saw that my leash broke. The cord somehow detached from the socket around my ankle. That’s not good. That could be a really long swim in if I fall on a wave. So, I got one more set and took it all the way in without falling.
Skip and I met up at my car again. We swapped surf stories and I rehydrated. I gave him my custom 6’10” that I had made back in 2012. I was certain I wasn’t going to miss it now that I had my new Little Red. We decided to go out for another surf over at the right point. I was already tired, but I wanted a few more waves and figured I’d ride my Blender again. Skip and I suited up again. We made our way a little north and made the long paddle out. I sat outside with the two other guys getting the most waves.
Skip sat more inside but I had that feeling he probably wanted to swap boards to his bigger 8’0 he was riding earlier. Eventually he was gone, probably back at his car, but he didn’t return. Later I found out he out he went in to swap boards, but his foot on the rocks. I stayed out until I caught 10 waves. After that I was pretty much shot. My arms, leg, chest and back started cramping at random intervals. I got out and ate my last burrito, rehydrated and packed up for the trip home.
I made the long drive home. The late afternoon traffic was thick in a few spots. I was hoping my right leg wouldn’t start cramping up. I would replay in my mind those set waves I got on Little Red. Those sweeping left waves that I’d have cutback after cutback, dodging the people paddling out with ease and style. I thought about the surf days to come and when I might head back to Ofre. I thought about the zillion surf sessions I had with Skip over the decades. I giggled at the thought that Little Red was going to be one of my top three boards of all time. That I just drove over 150 miles, picked up a new board, had three surf sessions at a spot I haven’t surf in six years. I got just under nine miles of surfing in about 3.5 hours, and I can’t wait to do it again.
