Vacations Blog

My son Lucas and I, at our local spot - South Ponto beach, north San Diego county.

There’s a saying among veteran surfers: if you don’t surf, don’t start. I was told that several years ago, didn’t listen, and became hopelessly addicted to the greatest activity known to man. (Well, the second greatest.) I’ve ridden waves all up and down the California coast, from warm summer Pipes to the frigid and spooky waves a few hundred miles north of San Francisco, and while I’d never tell someone to not learn how to surf, I’d certainly give them an earful about the right way to go about it. As we head into spring, many people will be traveling to America’s Finest City and the place that I call home, San Diego. And quite a few of them will be thinking about paddling out for the first time. If you are, here are some tips that will make your experience a fun and safe one, for you and the other people you’ll encounter in the water.

The Ocean Can And Will Kill You If You Aren’t Careful And Prepared

Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Well, no, actually I did. Go to any southern California beach on any busy summer weekend and you’ll get to watch the lifeguards earn their pay, plucking hapless swimmers (of ALL abilities) out of the water left and right. The ocean’s a living thing: there are longshore and rip currents that will pull you up and down and out to sea before you know it, there are holes and rocks and stingrays and jellyfish waiting to mess up your feet and ankles, and there are waves that look manageable but have the power to drag you down to the bottom and keep you there. It’s not, as many non-beach people assume, a big pool, or even a big lake. Assuming that you are a strong swimmer, keep in mind that while it helps, paddling a surfboard is a strenuous task that works muscles that you probably never knew you had. So two things: get yourself in surfing shape (two surfing-specific fitness books I highly recommend: Surf Flex by Paul Frediani and Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul (And Of Course Surfing) by Laird Hamilton and if you can’t get those? Pushups, pullups, and crunches. Lots of ‘em.) and when you do head down to the beach, make sure that you read the update boards that are posted on the lifeguard towers; they’ll give you all kinds of info on the current conditions.

My surfboards; different boards for different waves.

Go To A Beginner-Friendly Beach

All beaches are not the same. For beginners, picking a good spot to surf is crucial for both physical and mental health. On the physical side, bouncing off of a rocky reef is rarely enjoyable; on the mental side, trying to paddle out through and then catch challenging surf is immensely frustrating (as well as extremely tiring). In San Diego county, there are miles and miles of surfable beach – but there are very few surf breaks that are beginner-friendly. The absolute best beginner spot in the county (apologies to the locals, but they’re painfully aware of this) is La Jolla Shores. The waves are small, and the vibe is friendly (we’ll talk about that in a second); it’s the perfect place for newbies. Be warned: parking is a nightmare. Another good choice is south of the Shores; Mission Beach is a long, sand-bottom stretch of beach that sees it’s share of beginners and surf camps and classes. It can get crowded during the summer, and the waves can be bigger and trickier than La Jolla Shores’, but it’s usually a good bet.

Dry-land practice: a surf class learning how to get to their feet.

Take A Lesson. Or Two. Or Three.

Yes, there are surf schools and camps, and yes, I highly, highly recommend taking lessons. Put it this way: would you try to go skiing without taking a lesson? Surfing is infinitely more difficult than skiing or snowboarding. Yes, I’ve skied and snowboarded, and I stand by my statement – think of surfing as similar to both, but you start your run by lying face down on your skis or snowboard and have to get up and stand on them and stay standing without the aid of straps while flying down the slope, which by the way is moving up and down and sideways underneath you. San Diego’s best known surf school is Surf Diva; yes, they allow guys. Another recommended surf school is Pacific Surf School. Along with teaching students the basics of the sport, a good surf school will instruct students on how the ocean “works” (tides, swells, wave mechanics) as well as provide guidance on surfing etiquette (yes, there are unspoken rules, and it’s crucial to know them for safety reasons as well as common courtesy). You’ll learn a lot more and have a lot more fun if you take a lesson – it can take days or even weeks for a novice to catch their first wave without someone showing them the ropes. (Full disclosure: it took me exactly one month, from my first paddle-out to catching and actually riding my first wave.)

Finally, surfing requires commitment; it takes years to master, and many people, even those who surf daily, never do. But there’s no better way to spend a summer day than out in the lineup with friends, soaking up the sun and hanging out with the dolphins. (More full disclosure: I can walk across the street from my house and be at the beach, and right now I’m gazing out the window and it looks like there’s no wind and a bit of a swell, so…)