A friend approached me recently and asked if I would be interested in writing about surfing. In particular, surfing here on the central coast of California. I was somewhat taken aback by the question as I have never written so much as a "letter to the editor" - or anything else for that matter. My writing experience has consisted of English essays, book reports, and the odd creative writing assignments typical of a high school curriculum. After graduating I did not pursue a college education (I wanted to go surfing instead), so when I considered the offer to write for the Journal, I immediately felt rather unqualified. But when I thought a little more about it, two things came to mind.
First, I have been surfing . . . body surfing, boogie boarding, stand up surfing, etc. - most all of my life. So from an experience standpoint I suppose I am fairly qualified.
Second, I started playing in the ocean because it is FUN - incredible, all consuming FUN! And I thought, writing about surfing could be really fun. I know there are a great many things in life that might be more important than having fun - family, career, faith, world peace, etc. - but I believe that adding the element of great enjoyment to anything that is important in one's life, enhances those things. Fun brings joy and laughter and tempers the difficulties and sorrows. So, in the purely selfish interest of having more FUN in my life, I agreed to write about surfing here on the central coast.
If you are fortunate enough to be a resident here, then you probably feel like I do. This is an area unique and beautiful beyond compare. (OK I'm biased, but cut me some slack.) I won't go into great length about all the natural beauty, great weather, and wonderful people here. Suffice to say the central coast has, in abundance, what many people dream of as a place to live.
From a surfing standpoint, we are very fortunate indeed. The ocean here is clean, clear, and very much alive. These waters are full of animals, large and small, swift and sluggish, friendly and not so friendly. Sea birds in huge numbers and great variety abound. There are giant forests of kelp just offshore and sand so clean that it squeaks beneath your feet. Whales breach, dolphins ride waves with you, pelicans dive for fish, and when the sun sets into the ocean it lights up the sky.
As for the waves, we are equally fortunate to have many places to surf, as well as to experience different kinds of surf. To the average person a wave is a wave is a wave; they all pretty much look the same - some bigger some smaller. They roll toward shore, they crest, they break, and they wash ashore in a jumble of white foam. To a surfer waves are very different from each other.
"Beach break waves" break over a sandy bottom and are the most common and user friendly.The sand bottom tends to absorb some of the energy of the wave and if you fall, is the softest to land on. "Reef break waves" break over submerged rocks and are usually more powerful. They are also much less forgiving to land on. The least common and most coveted are "point break waves." These are waves which break along a point or headland and can be sand bottom, rocky bottom, or a combination the two. This type of wave, because of the bottom topography, can provide some of the longest rideable waves.
In the area between Santa Barbara and San Francisco, you can find all of these types of waves. The combination of clean, vibrant ocean waters, generally mild weather patterns, and a variety of surf types, make the central coast a very special place to experience surfing.
Images above by Mike Baird.
