In order to noseride, the surfer moves to the front of the board and performs one or more maneuvers or positions. Hawaii’s Rabbit Kekai is often identified as the first surfer to ride the nose …
August 5, 2015
Surf Diego
To ride the nose
The Tourmaline wave is for sharing
At Tourmaline in Pacific Beach there is a trench about 100 yards offshore that runs parallel to the beach. This trench has a major effect on how a wave approaches the shore. Based on a …
June 17, 2015
When is the surf too big?
The news weather people love to talk about high surf advisories. They always throw in “strong rip currents” and warn that only “advanced” surfers should enter the ocean. Sometimes they are right, but more often …
February 25, 2015
The long and short of it
The waves have to be fast and be breaking to catch them on a shortboard. While sitting on a shortboard, the surfer is very low down in the water. Shortboard surfers get upset with longboarders …
February 20, 2015
Fourteen levels of warmth
If you live anywhere north of Santa Barbara, you always wear a wetsuit. When you get up to Oregon and Washington it does not matter what the season might be — you will be in …
January 7, 2015
Always one loud-mouthed jerk
While Southern California is full of great surf spots, there still are not enough, considering the size of the surfing population. This can cause a lot of stress in the lineup. Most (if not all) …
December 31, 2014
The nervous worried look
We have visitors from Norway in our condo complex in Pacific Beach. The first thing they asked was where they could find a beginner’s beach for surfing. They picked the right place to live, as …
December 28, 2014
Terry's board
I first met Terry Hendricks showering off by the lifeguard tower after a morning surf in Ocean Beach around 1970 or ’71. At the time I was unaware he was a noted scientist and held …
December 3, 2014
The unused wetsuit
This was the best summer for surfing in San Diego… ever. There was no May Gray, June Gloom, or July Cry. It was perfect weather at the beach almost every day, and that clear weather …
November 26, 2014
Speak no evil
My surf buddy Jason McLachlan stopped by my house last night, fuming mad. He had just finished a short sunset session, so he should have been a happy guy. Here is his story: “I just …
September 17, 2014
Surf Nazi Hate Crime
On March 17, at the Ocean Beach Jetty, I had just caught a wave that nobody else was close to catching. After my ride, I paddled back to the lineup and another surfer told me, …
April 3, 2009
Share Waves Without Judgment
Name: Michael Janzen Surfing: Tourmaline Lives: Mission Valley Miss work for surfing? “No. Get up earlier and do both.” A few months ago, surfers congregated at Tourmaline Surf Park in Pacific Beach. The mayor and …
April 1, 2009
Scat Daddy's "Lament"
Name: Steve Scatolini (aka Scat Daddy Surf) Age: 32 Years surfing: “too many” Favorite spot: Jocko’s Pre-surf music: “Jimi Hendrix, my own” Post-surf food: Poma’s Deli (in O.B.) Scatolini’s song (below) was inspired, he says, …
March 18, 2009