Surfing in December

Last week, I went out to shoot a local middle school surfing club from Thousand Oaks at a beach in Port Hueneme. They started at 7 am, and was scheduled to arrive at 8 am. In late December.
I asked Joe to write down the directions while I got dressed and ready to leave. He wrote, "Take Lewis road to Surfside Drive. Turn left. Park in pay parking lot. Look for frozen children on left side of pier."
He wasn't far off. It was ridiculously cold at the beach, but the kids were all suited up in their neoprene and already out in the surf. I tried to use the gorgeous morning light to my advantage and not get too many cliche surfing shots. It was a crystal clear day and we could see all the way out to the channel islands. The water was beautiful, the sky had just a few clouds and contrails, and the waves were small but pretty.