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Swami’s |
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The View Your first impulse is to walk up to the rail and check out the surf and then the remaining expanse of water below. Few good surfing spots have viewing spots equal to Swami’s. No matter the condition of the surf, you’re likely to see surfers trying to catch a ride on the best of the swells available. These surfers may be prominent local businessmen (or ladies) before or after work, or during a midday break, perhaps a little desperate to catch “one more” good wave before their work or family responsibilities require their presence elsewhere. They may be school-age locals (elementary thru university), or others - age seven to seventy on holiday from up or down the coast, East as far as the Atlantic, from the West – from anywhere. If you observe them for long, you will see that surfing has become an important part of their lives – surpassing the enthusiasm of an ardent golfer or computer buff.
More about surfing later. As you look at the water below, what you see depends greatly on the tide, the weather and the season - even so, it’s different from one moment to the next. Look for Gulls or Pelicans gliding on the landward side of a swell, foraging for food. If you’re lucky you will see Dolphins playing in the sells. If it’s December through March and you’re persistent, you will see Grey Whales spouting and surfacing offshore – usually well beyond the kelp beds running parallel to the shore several hundred yards out. Other sightings of note will be occasional swimmers, kayaks, fishing boats, sailboats, and Navy ships. Fewer than 50 years ago you would have been looking down on small fishing boats and lobster traps that were using the beach at “The Point” or “Noonan’s Point” as homeport. Looking close to shore when the tide is low you’ll see ridges or reefs running out from shore roughly parallel to one another. These reefs are important in giving Swami’s the characteristics of a good surfing beach. They extend far out into the water, slowing the underwater part of each swell more than the surface portion, causing them to rise and begin to curl over – where the ride begins. As you look north and south you’ll see other local surfing spots, each having it’s own characteristics – which depend upon the nature of their “floor”, and such local and distant influences as direction and height of waves, direction and intensity of the winds, tropical storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or storms even as far off as Japan.
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