My "Home" Break

Salt Creek showing it's best form

Most waveriders will have a surf spot they consider their "home" break. In other words, they tend to surf there the majority of the time and more often than not these locals know the majority of the people sharing the waves with them. Since I did not grow up in a coastal community per se I never had the luxury of surfing every morning before school or work. Besides my group of friends that came with me on surf trips I never had a family of friends that I could chat with every morning while waiting for the next set to roll in. Despite all this I still have a spot that I would consider my "home" break. When I first started bodyboarding I considered the stretch of sand between 13 Street Newport ("Schoolyards") and 18th Street (near "Newport Point") my home break. Most of the time it was very average beachbreak as far as length of ride is concerned. Although this stretch normally lacked waves that could give you a long ride, it made up for it with it's hollow and very punchy closeouts. My friends and I cut our teeth at this spot. Occasionally we had some excellent days with A-frame peaks scattered up and down the beach. Rarely a hurricane would sent up some southeast swell that made Newport Point start to work which would grind out lefts up toward Newport Pier. In the summer when bigger south swells would arrive in Newport we would pull into hollow closeout after hollow closeout.
After many years of surfing this northern end of the Balboa Peninsula we discovered 40th Street and I added more grace to my surfing style and added many maneuvers to my repertoire that closeouts were usually not conducive to. For a time I may have even considered 40th Street my home break. This changed when I discovered Salt Creek in Dana Point. Salt Creek soon became the destination of choice and I have since logged many hours there with the Ritz Carlton Hotel looming overhead. If today I could say I have a home break it would be Salt Creek. The quality of beachbreak usually surpasses my former "home breaks" day in and day out. As long as the tide is not too low Salt Creek never seems to disappoint me, even when the swell is very small. I seem to always have fun there. Although I still consider Newport Beach to be my home in a sense, I look forward most to heading down to "Creek" whenever I get the chance.