Around The World In 80 Waves

Whilst still at San Onofre I am joined by a local surfer called Wyatt who I had met previously in a bar a Newport Beach. Wyatt runs a very successful house cleaning business, but is more than a bit jealous of my own exploits and is keen to join me for a few waves along the way. We are not tempted back into the water at San Onofre but decide to head south to see if we can find some more exposed breaks where better waves will be showing. We hit the freeway and as soon as we do I realise that I have got no fuel in the car. By no fuel, I don’t mean in the red. I mean below the zero. Nothing is close by in the USA and Oceanside where we are heading is 20 miles away. I am frankly staggered that the car makes it to the petrol station where I fill up quickly because it is getting late and we are both itching to get another session in.

We go down to the harbour area and choose this salubrious place to park up. At first glance the surf looks naff but the sun is already going down and we both have longboards so we do quick changes into our wetsuits and go in anyway. The wind is actually blowing offshore here and although the waves are three feet high at best we both catch a hat-full of clean rides until we are effectively stealth surfing in the dark, trying to pick out slight changes in the horizon to see if a wave is coming. Surfing so much on my own it is great to have some company in the water and it is just a shame we couldn’t have got in the water earlier. We are both trying to get that last good ride in when it dawns (or I should say dusks) on me that it is fish feeding time, and I paddle in with a degree of haste not often seen on this trip.

Another quick change and we go for some victory beers and some grub at a bar next to this lighthouse on the other side of the harbour. You can see how dark it was when we got out though. Wyatt has to drive 30 miles back home to his wife so it isn’t a monster drinking session. Although I now have a powerful thirst on and realise it is Saturday night. It turns out the motel I am booked into for the next couple of nights is just around the corner so I race round there have a quick shower and stroll into town. I take a seat at the bar in Breakwater Brewing Co and am kept amused by the enchanting Christina who is serving me drinks. I’m having lots of banter with her and the other customers, but after scoring two breaks and having so much fun I don’t really want this day to end. I am warned that this is a US Marine party town and that they can get a little boisterous, but it doesn’t stop me briefly checking out a nightclub. It isn’t my scene, but I enjoy people watching for a bit and have one gin and tonic before strolling home.