I heart Norcal winters

Summary
...but the water here is effing cold. I wish I had bought Patagonia gloves and hood. Oh, I will. The surf was pretty fun too.
Waves
Once the tide started popping up, wave shape improved significantly. Pretty much every inside set was a good 6ft, though I would say most a good two feet overhead. Super hollow, easy to catch, can't argue with that. The paddle out was not fun. Getting caught inside was not fun. Getting a 3ft overhead non-closeout wave made it all worth it.
Crowds
Since every other break within 30 miles is either blown out, too exposed, or too sheltered, Dillon Beach today is pretty much the only option. Good sized ripable waves here means a good crowd. There were only a handful out pre-parking opening, but a good 20+ on midsized shortboards once it really opened up. What good timing with the tides too, dang.
Weather
It's wintertime. Wintertime means storms. The waves today are the result of a storm. It was raining off and on throughout the morning, and I have absolutely no idea why it's not windier than it is, but I'll take it. Oh, and it's ass cold out. Put simply, my hands got cold AFTER I got out, they were fine in the water (which is 51) but the low-mid 40's air temp plus ridiculous winds...no go. I literally had to take my wetsuit off in the shower, I couldn't grab by the time I got back to the car, and the hot water felt cold. Maybe I should wear gloves...
Forecast
Mediocre conditions (mostly due to lower period swell) with 5-8ft here at DB through the week. Tomorrow is looking better and better, but it might be just a tad too much power too early---darn doctor appointments.
Eventful Stuff
Nothing really eventful through the morning. The first hour was truly one of the crappiest surf sessions I have had. The waves there, the conditions there, but for some reason I had the hardest time. I was quite literally paddling for an hour. Thank God for my new wetsuit otherwise I gurantee my arms would be trashed by then. The rest of the session, it was super hard to get outside, but once there the waves were super fun.
Wave of the Day
8ft, clean face, popped up out of nowhere with a beautiful right shoulder. Two quick strokes and boom, I'm on it, sharp bottom turn, heavy cutback, two quick pumps and in the barreling pocket for two or three seconds before it closes out ontop of me. Thinking back to it now there was a perfect little air section, but I really like the barreled feeling.
There were a couple other similar ones too, I with I could have gotten more turns in, but most were just so steep it's hard to force more than one or two turns.

Summary:
Dillon Beach, Marin County
6'1" Al Merrick White Dove
7:30-10:30AM
6-9ft with monster sets, 14-15sec
Offshore-> Slight onshore
First hour 1/5, the rest of it 4/5