Spooked

OK. I expected it to drop a bit this morning but id didn't. It was still big and I think it might have gotten bigger since yesterday. Since I had such a great session yesterday I showed up at Newport again at 38th st. Surfline is calling it 5-7 occ 8 ft at this spot. This may be accurate, I don't know.

Well, I had to wait out a set before paddling out at 5:45AM, where I saw my friend Jeff out with a peak all to his own. He pulled into a HH barrel right off the bat. I was stoked and ready to get out there. I got out, caught a chest high wave just to get my feet under me and knock down my nerves a bit. Plus, once I caught a wave it was officially logged as a session. With that out of the way, along came a sizeable set. Rather than take all of it on the head I turned and came in, walked down the beach and waited for the set to end. Paddled back out to where Jeff was. This time a set came, about as big as the one that I had just avoided by paddling to shore but this time I was in position for it. With my confidence riding kind of high from yesterday's session I turned and took off on the first wave which looked to be one of the bigger waves I had seen that day. I was in and rather than making a bottom turn I immediately went to trim as the wave was jacking up pretty good. I saw a section starting to close in front of me so I pulled out only to see every surfers nightmare. Everyone in the lineup scratching for the outside while I am sitting directly in the impact zone. This set was BIG! Closing out the entire section between the 36th and 40th street jetties. I took the first one on the head, but made it through OK. But then I saw more behind it with the lineup still scratching. Again I turned towards shore and went with flight instead of fight.
This time, rather than paddle back out with Jeff I headed south a few blocks where hopefully it would be more sheltered (34th st). Still looked to be head high waves and the ones that came through looked perfect. A frames peeling. Some hollowing out. So I paddled out from shore for the third time. This time again, I caught a wave pretty quick, made a couple of turns. Turned to paddle back out and I could see another sizeable set was coming. I thought I could beat it out though although the lineup, who were already outside of me were paddling quickly to the outside. I scratched only to have the first wave break just in front of me, but I had a great duck dive and I was able to actually still gain ground on it. Unfortunatley the next wave was bigger still, and I'm breathing hard and my arms are getting tired from all this paddling. This wave broke right on top of me, and left me clinging for dear life to my board (I try never to ditch my board). I held on and saw yet another wave outside of my position beginning to feather. There was no way I could get out past this one, and I'm tryig to catch my breath from the last pounding. I decide to turn around and let it take me in.
As I walked back south to where I had parked I considered trying yet another break but the waves seemed to get small quick as I headed towards Blackies. It is kind of a freak thing, it could be 5-8' at 38th and 1-2' at blackies. So I decided I was done for the day, and humbled.