Surf & Sail

HAPPY SPRING! Catching up on old posts makes me pine for warmer weather. Yesterday we had some afternoon sun after what feels like weeks and weeks of rain, but it was still frigid by NorCal standards — low to mid 50s. This morning it's 40F out! For the love of god, take me back to the hot, sticky days of surfing and eating ramen and reading Margaret Atwood on the beach! 

1. SURF

I've had these palm-print cuties (Topshop) since way back when I had pink hair! From Jamaica Plain to Oakland to Honolulu, I've loved and still love them. 

Back at the Surfjack, I tossed them on with a super lightweight cotton button-up before a private surf lesson. Strangely, I appear to be better at traditional surfing than paddle boarding, which makes very little sense to me.

While good surfers make the sport look effortless, it doesn't particularly look easy. Paddle boarding, however, looks as though any dodo bird off the street can figure out. It's a lie! 

The moral of the story is that I am SO BAD at paddle boarding. So, so bad. I'd say it's a good thing no one was around to witness how bad but there happened to be a giant open ocean swim competition happening that morning, and guess who paddle boarded herself right into the middle of the course? 

I did. Of course. Let's instead focus on the fact that the first and last photos above are après surf, which is why my hair is still damp. Could be worse for getting mashed by salty waves for over an hour! Gorgeous Diamond Head is below with a little cluster of boutique hotels and vacation condos — this is the other area that I love staying in, not quite a mile's walk to the strip but a world away in terms of quiet, less crowded beaches, and lots of green space. 

2. SAIL

Now let's hop back to the mainland. Some 10 days before the surf lesson, we took this puppy out for a spin on the bay. It was the most glorious day for it, and the first time I sailed a catamaran of this size (over 45') and caliber. I distinctly remember marveling at the ease of it, how good it feels to skip along the waves on a beautiful day (there's a delicious moment when the engines are cut and all that's left is the sound of the wind and the water), and knowing that the best spot on a cat (if it's not in the cockpit) is lounging on the trampoline with a glass of champagne, getting kissed with salty sea spray (above photo).

Below deck was 3X the living space of most modest Oakland condos priced the same. Now even on a chilly day like today I look out at the bay and get that pang of wanting to be on the water. I might have to work my way up to one like this, though. (I will sit very still while Jeanneau and Beneteau fight over who gets to sponsor me, though the catamaran pictured here is a Lagoon 450S.) 

Should you ever feel like a sail, I recommend Capt. Rodney Mayer and The Galen Diana, a 49' Jeanneau out of Jack London Square, Passage Nautical out of either Jack London Square or Pt. Richmond (though they're not always the most responsive) and you could always give Boatsetter a try as well. Happy Sails!

Side note: This blazer is one of those things I cut from my closet in a merciless purge, and I deeply regret it. I know I'll have to replace it — it was thrifted from the little boys' section — with a costlier version from J. Crew or something, but I've found a natty little navy blazer is something my wardrobe misses very, very much. 

There it is. Proof. Proof that warmer days are right around the corner. I spy low 70s next week and I CANNOT WAIT.