Around The World In 80 Waves

The damage to my surfboard means that I would be unable to surf for a few days. However on this trip that is unacceptable and after packing up the car in its Mexico rigging at the motel in Newport Beach, I head down past San Clemente where my board is being straightened out and hire a 9’4″ molded board from the Rip Curl shop near the Trestles break where I was surfing yesterday. From there I drive another freeway junction south to the San Onofre state run beach park.

This beach is famously next to a nuclear power plant and I am reminded of that upon turning off the freeway. The facility is adjacent to the sand and one suspects that in this seismically active part of the world they have revised their tsunami risk management procedures in light of the recent events at Fukushima.

The two huge reactors which are actually being closed down are in sight the whole time I am in the water, and for some reason they keep reminding me of something I saw at the Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas.

As for the surf it is average at best. There are plenty of people out in the slow knee high conditions, and every ride is a party wave with everybody dropping in. I saw six people on one wave before going in. Having to hire the bigger 9’4″ board was a blessing in disguise because the extra volume meant I could easily catch many of these waves during the two hour session. Things quietened down in the water and for half an hour there were just myself and a lady in her fifties working on our nose riding technique which was lots of fun. (I have to say that hers was much better than mine too.)

On the down side there is so much kelp in the shallow water which keeps wrapping itself around my legs, the fins, the leash. I am not too freaked out by the sensation at first, which I can only equate to feeling like you are having an ongoing battle with an octopus. The good thing about the kelp is that the sharks are not supposed to come through it because they are also afraid of getting trapped and they need to keep moving for their gills to work. However one cheerful soul in the water tells me I should put San Onofre Shark into You Tube, which I do later in the day. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPOBeXD91fI) Having moved quite far south I had hoped I would be far less likely to see anything. Apparently not. Great

I’m not glowing like the Ready Brek kid after surfing this nuclear break although I can now turn light bulbs on just by walking into a room and start the car without needing keys!

There really isnt much surf about at the moment and I have to drive for miles to find a wave. Newport Beach where I am currently based isn’t working, the picture you see here of Doheny will show you that people had paddled out more in hope than expectation. San Clemente Pier was much the same so I push on past the county line to Trestles which is another legendary break that was on my list of breaks that I must surf, hoping for more swell to be showing there.

As well as being a legendary break it is notoriously difficult to find. You park in a burger bar car park, walk over the freeway bridge. Down this track for half a mile turn right continue down that track for half a mile, scramble under the elevated railway pilons (or trestles hence the name) and then across the sand. I feel like I have been hiking by the time I get to the water but am amused by the rabbits running all over the place as I walk down the tracks, because they are a new addition to the Doolittle collection.

The break itself is split up into Uppers, Middles and Lowers and I paddle out at Uppers to avoid the massive crowds in the water at Lowers where the waves can be legendarily good. The sea surface is like glass and I think that I am in for an amazing session but the truth is that there were not enough waves coming through and those that did were only really breaking on the shore. You had to wait ages for a half decent ride. This was todays best shot.

However during one of these long lulls some more dolphins came through and unlike my experience at Rincon I had my camera with me this time. In no great rush they idled by me in the water and I was hoping that you could see them behind me. I was looking for ages but have failed to get the photographic proof I would love. They hung around for about 20 minutes which was awesome.

I’m in the water for a few hours and chatting with some local guys, but the wait between waves is boring so I eventually paddle in keen to see if I caught anything useful on camera.

Santa Cruz may claim to be “Surf City USA” but Huntington Beach has actually registered trademarks on it! It is known for its surf culture and eight mile stretch of sandy beach that gets consistent surf all year long. Alongside the pier is home to the US Open Surf Championships each summer, to which as many as 500,000 spectators come to watch.

I get up early to enjoy a feast of waves in the sunshine here and have a great chat on the phone with my brother James whilst I take in the sights. Straight away I knew there was a reason I came to California.

However it is all about the waves and I have a ball in the clean waves for more than three hours. I lost count of how many I caught, but my GoPro camera took 3723 pictures which I have worn out my delete key distilling down to just 69. This one of me with the sun in the palm of my hand is probably the picture of the day.

However not every one of the shoulder high waves goes as well as others! You can just see the pier in the background.

The skill level is unbelievably high here. I lost count of how many 360 airs I saw people landing. I’m not US Open standard but I put a great account in of myself and even bagged a few lefts which have been rare on this trip. I chatted with a few locals, even doing a bit of networking with a fund manager about job opportunities, which is a different kind of board meeting I suppose. I have good laugh with a surfer called John who has loads of great advice about the forthcoming journey through Mexico where his work regularly takes him, and he may also be able to put me in touch with a few friendly faces along the way which would be cool.

Huntington Beach is also the location of the International Surfing Museum and I check that out after the session. It has a particularly impressive collection of surf wax which I suppose would appeal to some more than others! The town also boasts a surfing walk of fame akin to the stars on the pavement in Hollywood. Miki Dora honoured here is a legendary beatnik surfer who went more than a bit off the rails.

I go for a stroll around the town and along the pier, where I watch these California Girls playing beach volleyball as the sun goes down. Having enjoyed a courtside seat at the Olympic tournament I was casting my expert eye over their form and technique for a good hour before retiring to the Longboard Bar for a few beers.

All in all a fantastic day and the sort of time I was hoping to enjoy when I got to the west coast of the USA.

The Wedge is a famous break at the east end of the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, which can produce huge waves up to 30 feet high. Sadly when I get there to check it out it isn’t breaking mostly because the current swell is coming from the north and it needs a southerly swell to work best.

The waves are a result of a rock jetty on the west side of the Newport Harbor entrance built during the 1930s. When a wave approaches the shore at the proper angle it reflects off the jetty creating a second wave. The reflected wave meets up with the following wave of the set and forms a peak. The combined effect of the reflected wave and the incoming wave creates a combined wave much larger than either of the two separate waves and occurs very rapidly and forms waves in a very unpredictable pattern, so that no two waves are alike and the exact breaking point is difficult to predict. Huge air drops, broken boards and broken bones are very common so I’m a little disappointed no to see it crashing in. However this link should give you some idea of what it is like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2a9wsmKUjo

Manhattan Beach is where Dale Velzy first walked down his board to stand on the front ‘Hanging Ten’ toes over the nose of his board in 1950. It is a beach I have to surf. After checking out of the hostel and sorting more dull phone problems I drive down there pleased to note the wind has dropped off massively since the day before. The sun is out and I am back in shorts although I may be the only one.

As you can see waves are breaking on both sides of the pier but I opt for the left hand side, and the waves which should be peeling right there. It is my forehand side i.e I am facing the wave rather than looking over my shoulder at it going the other way. However despite there being no wind it is really lumpy on the water and I am upended by the choppy water several times including one where the board flies out from under me with a fin slamming rather painfully into my foot. It almost feels like there are several swells arriving at once and they cant decide who is boss.

I still catch enough waves to keep me happy and they are actually quite big when they roll through as this picture of the day should demonstrate. You can just see the pier in the background where groups of people would stop to see if I got mangled by the sea or eaten by any of the angry fish. I even got a few whoops and a round of applause after one wave so I’m doing my best to put on a show for them. I cant manage a nose ride because my board is the wrong shape for that and the fins are too small, but I bag a some lovel rides and get out with a big grin on my face.

I head back to Venice Beach keen to get a wave at this famous beach, however the surf is naff. Knee high short period waves with a strong onshore wind, making the water very choppy and the time in the water quite miserable because the wind will cut through my wetsuit.

I procrastinate for ages and enjoy wandering along the promenade and having a bite to eat in one of the seafront cafes. Sitting there I am watching the hawkers, performers, and vendors going about their day with skateboarders slaloming through them all. There was nobody working out at muscle beach, which was a tad disappointing, but is the reason for this post missing that obligatory short of the area.

I eventually went in for about half an hour just to bag the break but this picture which was taken after I had gotten out shows how uninspiring the surf was even if the sunset behind it was epic.

On the plus side I am already a quarter of the way to my target of 80 waves and am only two months into my trip, which gave me a happy feeling while I was watching these guys playing handball and others shooting hoops on the basketball courts made famous in ‘White Men Can’t Jump’

The break is so called because it is at the end of Sunset Boulevard, which was also the title and location of a 1950 movie. I think it may be the first time I have surfed somewhere which is also a film title, and it seems appropriate for my first wave in Los Angeles.

Whilst getting into my wetsuit I chat to a 65 year old who has returned to the water after a 19 year hiatus. He has got the stoke back and is loving it. He is extremely jealous of my trip. Surfers everywhere I have been just get the concept and think it is a great idea.

As for the break itself the waves are only about three feet high and I was in two minds about going in at all until I saw dolphins swim through the break, which was the nudge I needed to get me in the water. Not bothering with the camera because of the waves on offer I paddled out over the rocks and quickly catch two beautiful peeling rights off the point.

However I am struggling to compete for the waves with the longboards in the water and I spend most of the time getting dive bombed by Pelicans who are after the fish which are clearly in the area. I surf until the sun goes down and enjoy another sunset at sunset.

I head back to the hostel and Ye Olde Kings Head British pub and shop which are around the corner. I savour a few celebratory pints of Boddingtons and purchase this sticker to try and Taff up the VW for my journey south, conscious that it’s California plates may attract attention once south of the border.

I was really looking forward to surfing here but it is the wrong time of year for this break. During the summer there are probably 10 people on every wave and it is completely crazy.

More islands and its southerly aspect shelter it from the Northern Swells which dominate the North Pacific in Winter. The result being a flat sea to greet me upon arrival.

I have to amuse myself by asking this bloke if he has seen David Hasselhoff. He didn’t find it as funny as I did.

I thought it unlikely I would be able to surf here so instead had put on my best Charlie Harper ( a la Two and a Half Men) bowling shirt the previous evening and had gone out on the pull, sadly with as much success as I had catching waves.

I did however find a bar and restaurant calle Duke’s (after Duke Kahanmoku no less)which overlooks the sea at Malibu and called back in here on the way south. Whilst enjoying a burger and a beer I was watching dolphins playing in the sea from my seat at the bar, which is definitely a first!

Also known as Ventura County Line. I had arrived here the night before, but the sun was almost down as I turned up and it was looking quite busy, so I checked into a hotel and waited for the morning. As you can see an early start saw only a couple of people out at high tide when I returned.

I caught loads today and did take the camera with me after regretting yesterday’s omission. This was the shot of the day, and you can see the wave is breaking just above my paunch even though I am half way up the face.

Again I have loads of photos, and too many to choose from so here is wave of the day from start to finish shot at two second intervals, beginning with an amusing comedy shot of my face as I struggle to turn the board around after the lady behind me insisted that I go for it and drop in at the last second before the wave arrived: 

I chose a quiet residential area to sleep in the car, but am woken by the morning commuters. As I sit up in the car I am greeted by this sight. Not a bad way to start the day.

I drive straight to Rincon Point which is just off the highway and is one of the legendary right hand point breaks I just have to surf on this trip.

The first thing I notice there is that I am the youngest in the water by about 15 years, which was swiftly followed by the realisation that I am undergunned. My 7’10” is a great board but all the wily old dudes are paddling past me with ease on 9’6″ or bigger longboards and keep nicking the epics rights I line up. I still catch loads even if I am missing out on the quality rights that the sea offers up every 20 minutes when a set rolls through.

As a consequence there is an awful lot of waiting around and during one of these lulls I get my latest shock from the animal kingdom when a school of bottlenose dolphins suddenly breaks the surface all around me. I could have touched them they were that close, but can admit to being a little bit disturbed by the experience initially because there was a fatal great white attack in Santa Barbara County where I am surfing just before Christmas and I dont really want to see any big fins around me in the water.

However I get much more comfortable as they hang around me for a while, coming up to the surface to have a good look at me, make a big gesture of snorting out of their blowholes, and one even starts splashing me with its tail which was an amazing experience. I didnt take my camera out today and regret it massively.

Now very aware of the marine life as I sit out back I turn around about an hour later after hearing a strange sound to see a…  Golden Retreiver!!!! I later found out this dog is called Lulu and she belongs to the bloke next to me in the water. She has paddled about 100m out to sea to ‘save’ her owner and clambers up on his board to give him a hug and a lick once she has made it through the shoulder high surf with several waves landing on her on the way out. He tells me she does it a few times each session to make sure he is ok, which is very cute but the poor guy has to keep paddling in to the shore to escort her back missing out on limited ocean time.

Credit to Lulu, I think her duck dive may actually be better than mine. Barking mad in every sense of the word!