Post Survives Tricky Conditions : Op Pro surfing: She advances to quarterfinals in mixed swell combined with a little wind.

After four years on the world tour, Huntington Beach surfer Nea Post left in December. Surfing for the first time after six months off, Post still had what it took in tricky conditions Thursday to advance to the women’s quarterfinals at the Op Pro Surfing Championships.

Post, 22, spent the afternoon watching the familiar beach break and trying to stay relaxed. Scanning the waves at 4 p.m., she said, “You look for consistency,” but an hour later when she had to surf, there was none. A mixed swell combined with a little wind to make the three- to four-foot waves bumpy.

Over the course of the 20-minute heat, Post found eight waves. After throwing out the high and low judges’ scores from each wave and counting only the best four, Post moved on with two waves in the five-point range and another two in the four-point range.

Lisa Andersen, who leads the women’s world tour, caught 10 waves and only was able to score slightly higher on her top four.

“It’s tricky out there, but I hate to blame it on the conditions,” Post said.

Post began surfing off the Huntington Beach pier 10 years ago and began competing as an amateur a couple years later. “I’ve been competing every two months. This is the longest break I’ve had in a while,” she said.

“I felt a little off out there, but I don’t think it had anything to do with taking time off. My timing was off but I think it’s just life. You know some days are that way.”

Post will compete next week in the U.S. Open of Surfing and is considering three events in France in late August, but a couple of things might keep her home.

With an associate of arts degree from Golden West College, Post starts next month at UC Irvine as a physical science major.

“It’s a steppingstone,” she said, adding that she plans on a career in health care.

A few more immediate jobs could also take precedence over the contests. After being sponsored by Op her first two years on the tour, Post paid her own way the next two. She estimates her earnings each of those years at $10,000 and her expenses at $15,000.

“It gets old,” she said. But still, France has its appeal.

“It’s risky because you never know how you’ll do, but I always take extra surfboards there to sell,” she said.

Frieda Zamba, a five-time Op champion, understands the financial difficulties women surfers face. Athletically, she said, there isn’t much difference between the men and the women.

“We catch just as many waves and we surf big waves,” Zamba said. “But it’s tougher for women as far as sponsorship goes. A lot of companies don’t make women’s clothes and there just aren’t the dollars.

“I used to be bitter, but as you get older, you realize it doesn’t make sense. It just makes you surf bad,” Zamba said.

But as more women surf--this year, a record 54 have entered the Op--things might get easier.

Cori Schumacher from Oceanside, Tricia Gill, originally from Huntington Beach, Alisa Schwartzstein from Laguna Beach and Rochelle Ballard from Kauai, Hawaii, also made it through their heats and into the quarterfinals.

In men’s surfing, amateurs Kalani Robb and Tim Curran finished one-two in their heat to advance into the main event. Robb of Sunset Beach, Hawaii, and Curran of Oxnard, also made the quarterfinals of the Op Junior, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Chris Drummy and Donovan Frankenreiter of San Juan Capistrano, Daniel Del Castillo of Redondo Beach, Doug Silva of Solana Beach and Richie Lovett of Manly, Australia, also advanced from the trials.

Notes

Today’s schedule: 6-11:20 a.m., men’s surfing main event Round 1; 11:20 a.m.-4:40 p.m., men’s surfing main event Round 2; 4:40-7:20 p.m., longboard main event Round 1.