Around The World In 80 Waves

Thankfully the engine management light goes out as the engine and/or the day warm up and the car is running well so I drive on, passing the Laguna Seca racetrack where I decide it is probably not the best opportunity to see what the Little Green Surf Machine is capable of.

I stop at Monterey which used to be the state capital and is the location of John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row for all you literary types. However I am more interested in the aquarium there, where I couldn’t agree more with Jacques-Yves.

I get up close to a load more sharks like the Hammerhead you see above and can sit and watch the jellyfish moving about in their tank for ages, which is like a huge living lava lamp. I chat with some of the experts and am delighted to hear that there are roughly 250 adult Great Whites Sharks in the triangle between Baja, Seattle and Hawaii. I would have expected a huge amount more than that, but they are actually an endangered species and it is a shame they have been depleted so but it makes me feel a little bit more comfortable getting into their environment knowing how few of them there might be knocking about. It only takes one getting angry though…

I drive onwards past the Pebble Beach golf course which the guy at the tourist information centre described as the World’s Capital of Golf. He is obviously unaware of Augusta, St Andrew’s, Gleneagles, etc.

The next stop is Carmel-by-the-Sea where I check out the local break, but the sea is flat. The town is home to Clint Eastward and he was even it’s mayor at one point. In an effort to bump into the big man himself, I call in on the bar he owns called the Hog’s Breath only to find it is closed for two days. I am more than a bit disappointed not to have been able to enjoy a Dirty Harry burger there before moving on again.

 However the real star around here is the road and the scenery. There is a 90 mile stretch of road which is simply stunning. 

The car is running well despite the warning light coming back on periodically, and I am having loads of fun chucking it around the corners. 

The area is known as Big Sur and it is staggeringly pretty.

There is barely another soul about and the waves breaking at the bottom of the cliffs to my right are too messy for me to chance going out around here on my own. I push on until its gets dark and then crash out for the night.

Once I collect the car from the garage I decide to drive into the Sierra Nevada mountains to give it a proper test run. This shot was actually taken an hour and a half before the sun went down in amongst some of the Giant Redwood trees. The trees are so massive they block almost all the sunlight. It is all a bit Blair Witch Project and bloody cold so I drive back to Santa Cruz and make my final visit to 99 bottles, where I take my tally there to 17 different beers. (Must try harder!) Have a chat with a few people at the bar in which the subject of gun control comes up. One of the blokes who seems quite normal tells me he has an AR15 assault rifle on the grounds that you never know. He and the rest of the US are still living by the ‘peace by superior firepower’ train of thought and I think they will keep having gun problems until they grow up. Shame, because almost everybody I have met is thoroughly normal.

I find a nice spot to sleep in the little green surf machine for the first time. It is next to a beach, just around the headland from Pleasure Point and everything goes well until I set off the car alarm at 5am in the morning because the bloody thing has auto armed in the night, which it did because I had the audacity to take the keys out of the ignition overnight. It is dark and I can’t find the key for ages, the alarm works very well and all the lights come on in the houses nearby. So much for surreptitiously getting a crafty kip! I start the car and hit the road as soon as I can.

Pleasure point is just around the corner so I wait for the sun to come up and check out the break which you see here. The house in the middle is owned by Jack O’Neill the inventor of the wetsuit, purely so he could stay out on his surfboard longer and catch more waves. His son is also responsible for the surfboard leash because so many boards were getting washed into the cliffs and destroyed by the powerful waves here. As you can see the tide is high again which I have realised was where I went wrong at Steamer Lane, so I dont fancy getting into another bad situation.  

 The locals tell me it will be better as the tide drops and I hang around for a bit even checking out The Hook which is the next break along. The waves are very small and clean but already massively over crowded. The only ones who appear to be having a good time are the Sea Otters (a big nod to my channel swimming buddies at this point) who hang out together like this making ‘rafts’. VERY cute. It doesnt tempt me into the water though and I break the cardinal rule of surfing, i.e to never turn your nose up at surfable waves, and head south finally leaving Santa Cruz.

This logan is on Tshirts and car bumpers everywhere. I hope they do manage to keep the eclectic mix of surf dudes and shred Bettys, recumbent bicycles, skateboards, coastal joggers, freaky tattoos, and the great atmosphere that goes with all of it.

I head south and no sooner do I get sufficiently far from town for returning to be a real pain but the engine management light comes on. #*&$!!!!!!!!!

I told them the Beetle needed to cope with everything at the garage. They may have gone a bit far. ;o)

Loved the picture Adam. It really made me laugh.

I head towards the beach but something is definitely not right with the car. The engine doesnt sound right at all. Thankfully I am only a few quid lighter after finding a Volkwagen dealership whose mechanics tell me the problem is due to one of the spark plug caps having come off.

I treat the little green surf machine to some new spark plugs, because they tell me the ones in there are way past their prime, and am glad this came up here rather than in the middle of nowhere in Central America. I thought the byline was ‘If only everything in life was a reliable as a Volkswagen?’

Knowing my luck with motors something will happen anyway in the back of beyond! I cant help wondering what automotive mehanical mishaps I have in store later on my travels. I really need a collective finger crossing effort from all of you on this. I think I must have upset some voodoo mechanic or something similar in a previous life.

I get up before dawn and return to Steamers lane hoping to get that perfect hour after the fish have stopped feeding but before the crowds turn up. The sunrise I’m greeted by is awesome.

 I wait until at least one local gets in to make sure I am not the only shark bait. It is head high and maybe a bit more. I watch this guy get a couple as I get suited up.

 It all starts very well with me catching a huge one taking the drop but leaning too much into my bottom turn so arcing straight off the back of the wave. However I have been spending far too much time dwelling on the angry fish and have been forgetting that I am surfing the Pacific and Mother Nature always has the last laugh. As you can see here I have become aware that a monster set is heading my way and I’m scratching for the horizon trying to get over the top of it. Putting it bluntly I fail. The first wave of the set knocks me off my board. The second lands on me knocking the air out of me and pushes me to the bottom. 

I am aware it is the bottom because I bounce uncontrollably off several rocks that are the size of me and with no air in me I am having a hard time making it back to the surface. I keep my cool and do get there but then have to take a couple more pummelings from the next two waves before I can get my hands on my board which is when this picture was taken. You will notice that the cliffs which were some way away are now directly behind me and there are more waves on the way, so I am literally between the preverbial rcok and a hard place. A couple of sphincter clenching minutes later I have managed to get myself into a safe spot so I can catch my breath.

I have been really spooked by the experience so go in and get changed. I sit on one of the benches at the top of the cliffs trying to figure out what I did wrong and only spot what I have been sitting on when I get up. Hmmmmm!

It may be time to move on after all!

After my surf I rock up at the Post Office and am amazed that they let me access somebody else’s PO Box, but I finally get the part I need for the roof rack, which is taken straight back to the hostel to fix to the car. The Little Green Surf Machine is complete. What do you think?

Once attached I can finally sort the car for the journey which I enjoy spending the day doing including some upholstery repairs with the needle I bought from the knitting circle in San Francisco. I go down to watch Steamers Lane again but it starts raining and is quite miserable so go and buy some food in preparation for my first bit of cooking in 6 weeks! One awesome chicken and vegetable in pepper sauce on a bed of vegetable pasta later I am stocked up with vitamins, feel like a new man and head out for drinks with Dutch Hannah and some of her buddies from UCSC.

We call in on 99 Bottles where I take my scorecard tally up to 6 before going to a club called the Blue Lagoon. Top night. On the way home I walk past one of the many tramps that there seem to be in every American town. I dont give him anything as I walk by which results in me getting called a “F###ing Spic”. I burst out laughing because my plan to fit in as much as possible in Central and South America despite not speaking the lingo is to get as much colour as I can before I arrive. It is clearly working! Just wait until I grow the moustache I am planning through Mexico…

I wake up the following morning having kept half the hostel awake with world championship snoring thanks to my skinfull. Untroubled by this due to having enjoyed an excellent sleep I revel in my cub scout-esque preparation of having all the supplies ready for a Rob Special fry-up in the fridge and proceed to stink the hostel out with the aroma of sausage, bacon and eggs. I’m a happy bunny, but I’m not sure everybody else is. A bit of admin later is is time to go find some mischief. 

Steamers Lane is just about the most perfect right hand point break wave that I have ever seen. I can watch it all day long but have to get in for a slice of the fun for myself. Endless rights off the point which just go on and on and on and on. Fantastic. The waves are head high plus a bit more and there are steps down the cliff face so I can just paddle straight into the break. From here it is actually possible to surf it all the way to the beach about a 1km away, then get out and walk back along the cliff to the point and start again.

I got this picture of the back of the break from the Santa Cruz pier. You can see how it just keeps breaking off the point. Gorgeous.

As usual I am visited by nature as soon as I paddle out. I am beginning to feel like Dr Doolittle when a sea lion pops up next to me to bark at me a few times and then disappears back under the water. I notice that most of the wax I put on for my last session has rubbed off, which isn’t ideal, but it doesn’t matter because I catch a couple of waves in the quick hour I have available this morning and they are both absolute peaches.

The first place waves break is the point next to this lighthouse which is also the surfing museum. I catch two waves here carving them up into the next break called The Slot, then through Middle Peak and Indicators. The next break along is called Cowells after the street across the road and I dont quite make it through this section as the waves peter out but both rides are EPIC!!! So good in fact that I decide straight away to extend my stay here. Will definitely be hitting this wave twice, thrice or possibly more often than that, and will attach my camera next time to try and get some video footage. Awesome just awesome!

As well as stroking sharks at the marine research institute I pick up these playing cards.  

Each card gives useful advice, and I note with interest that nowhere does it say do not go in the water.

I really like Santa Cruz. It is definitely my kind of place. Very chilled out, the weather is lovely and warm with loads of people going for a run or a cycle along the sea front. Epic surf right in front of the town. A big town but still retains a seaside charm.

It is also where they filmed ‘The Lost Boys’ the brat pack vampire film. Do you remember them hanging off this bridge?

It was also where Duke Kahanamoku’s 1st surf was enjoyed on the US mainland in 1910, and it is also where surfing was first seen in the US 25 years earlier when 3 Hawaiian Princes who were studying at a nearby military college decided to fashion some boards and practise their art so far away from home.

It is Surf City USA and there are skateboards everywhere, with all ages cruising down to the beach on them. Just about every surf stereotype you can imagine and then some more people who are all a bit out there. Crowds gather on the cliffs to watch the surfers ride by on the Steamer Lane breaks, and this huge stautue stands watch over the scene. A wonderful spot

My first impression of the hostel is that it is a gorgeous collection of little cottages and everybody I meet in my own cottage. (Stella from Germany, Hannah from the Netherlands, Sam from Reno in Nevada and Sophie from Australia) is up for a drink as soon as I arrive, so we all go out for a burrito and then on to a bar called 99 bottles (www.99bottles.com) where they serve 99 different beers. Drink all 99 and get a Tshirt and a placque on the wall. Ordinarily it would be a challenge I am up for but time is short in town and I don’t think my thirst will stretch that far in my short stay. I score 3/99 on my record card. Very poor!

The next day I visit the surfing museum under the lighthouse at the point which is the first section of Steamers Lanes, Santa Cruz’s most famous break. Inside the museum I am staggered to see that there is a local shaper called Bob Pearson who has shaped Mavericks competition winning boards (under the brand name of Pearson Arrow boards) and has been inducted into the shaping hall of fame. Laird Hamilton, all round board sports legend, is even one of his sponsored riders! Bob was also rated the number 2 pro surfer in the United States back in 1976.

I have to go looking for the bloke and soon find his surf shop but sadly have just missed him. His nephew gets him on the phone but a family function prevents him from joining me and talking to me about boards. He sends his best wishes for my trip and missing him is probably a blessing in disguise, because I would only have wanted to buy a custom Bob Pearson surfboard from him and I dont need two boards for this trip. Instead I treat myself to some Pearson surf merchandise which just has to be done. I do however know where my next board will be shaped! 🙂

I wouldn’t have had room for it anyway because my roof rack issue is still not sorted. It was tiresome in San Francisco now it is just an annoyance because I want to set the bug up for long term travel and I cant do any of that when a board is taking up all the space in the car. Over the phone when I called from San Francisco the hostel said it would be fine to mail something here before I arrived or indeed even before I bought the part I need. I then gave the hostel address that was suggested to me over the phone to the supplier, only to arrive and be told that I should not have been told I could mail stuff and that they are not willing to check their PO Box because I shouldn’t have sent something there even though they are responsible for it being there!! They have one more day to produce the part whereupon they will see what Arsey with a capital A is. I am warming up both barrels. 🙂

I didnt feel like going surfing today but enjoyed watching the locals for hours enjoying the fantastic point break which is Steamer Lane. After a while I went up the coast and stumbled across a marine research institute which has a small aquarium at the front, where I was invited to stroke a couple of Swell Sharks (so called because they suck in water to make themselves swell up and look bigger when threatened.) They are not so tough. I reckon I could easily have them. Quite a busy day in the end and am glad of turning in. Good night folks.

I opt for this very friendly looking wave. which is just down the coast from Mavericks, which you just might be able to make out breaking at the bottom of  the headland in the distance. It is gloriously sunny, uncrowded and the waves are about chest high and super clean because there is no wind. I re-wax my board with the more suitable cold water wax and paddle out.

I have attached the camera again and this is probably the shot of the day. I am quickly on my game today and bag loads chatting to the locals who are very friendly.

I had to post this picture becasue the look on my face is worth a thousand words. I honestly cant tell you what was coming my way but I’m guessing it must have been the set of the day. Very funny!

I head south after a great session thinking that I couldn’t be happier until I discover that the little green surf machine has heated seats and enjoy a toasty derriere on the way south down highway 1.