Surge, from the Watt's notes.

Thundering towards the Shore. An almost daily occurrence through mid-Summer. 7/29/2020

Settle down, stop trying so hard

Push back what you think is impossible
You're only undecided
Because you choose to be

-Shinedown

    An enchanting three weeks to be sure. The 2nd half of July saw a surge in the pandemic, maybe from everything opening up, maybe from carelessness of John Q. Public, maybe just the heat. Lemme tell ya, this summer's heat wave has been oppressive. Surging into the mid to high 90s as we entered August, with 70-80% humidity and "feels like" temps in exceeding 100F. that lead up to daily call-outs for thunderstorms. Regardless, it didn't stop the Crew. We took a breath. Kept our cool on. Put the distractions in the rear view to focus on the second half of our Summer. The last week of July supplied small surf with a bit of a bump. Enough to crack a couple fast frontside slides.

Crackin' into a shortie  frontside. Holidays and 66th, 7/30/2020.

The first week of August brought on the first destructive hurricane, turned tropical storm, turned a viciously sneaky Hurricane Isaias that plowed it's way through the Right Coast after running aground in North Carolina; effectively rained us out...even dropped a couple tornadoes around us. Not cool. 

This past week, smaller surf. In fact, Target challenged that there was near no surf. But, I had waited through the 'Cane- I was gonna ride something. Water was still in the 70s, although appearing to have cooled off by a couple degrees. The small knee high or so swell did not have a lot of power. It was all about timing it right at the crest, the wave's only surge of force. Sometimes I got lucky, sometimes they faded out with a light splash. All the while another front moved in, and with it fog. Paddled around chasing point breaks until I found that elusive last ride, then called it a session and headed in. 

Pumping the line to keep momentum. Wheezing knee-hi's, Holidays. 8/12/2020

   After clean up we headed north towards a new tavern on 118th only to find out it was closed on Wednesdays. My bad...again. But, there was another prospect nearby that provided the chance to salvage the evening. Last we were at Tailchasers was June of 2018. They had just changed ownership and opened for their first summer. Now they were running pretty smooth. Other locations were shutting down due to COVID, however Tailchasers followed their protocol, kept masks in place, limited seating, and were still able to provide food that was warm, and with little wait time. Known for their tap menu, we put in for a couple of brews; Myself a Union Pale, and Target sitting back with a smile on on his face and his first in a while, Leinie Summer Shandy draft in hand. Our glasses weren't chilled, but our choices made ordering our meal a pleasure.

Neither LWatt nor Target wanted them, yet I still went for the Luau Ribs with Mango Salsa, Target suggested the Truffle Parmesan Wings, and LWatt, always in favor of a good burger, leaned towards the Tailchasers Burger with bacon. The ribs were a bit over sauced and the salsa didn't help. I thought they were fair, LWatt and T-Man, not so much. Plump and juicy with a rich parm taste helped the wings overcome the fact that they weren't hot, just warm. The winner of the evening was the burger. Plenty of bacon, cooked just right, and hot off grille made for a prime finish to dinner. Our waitress provided great service. TVs were all around us. A good mix of pop and classic rock combined with a cool breeze on the open dining deck made for an enjoyable dining experience. The final tab was a little bit of a downer, but we get it...in the current atmosphere, prices surge...survival costs. All in all, a nice close to the night. Next week, another surf, another prospect. The Quest rolls on.

THE RATINGS-

Luau Ribs: C

Parmesan Truffle Wings: B

Tailchasers Burger: A-

Beer: B-

Atmosphere: B-

Value: C

Overall Score = 2.70