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.

Sandy's

In September 2006 my wife and I headed off to Hawaii for a late honeymoon. I had never been to the islands before but anticipated seeing some of the surf spots I dreamed about for years. The North Shore was pretty flat when I was there but the East side was a different story. One spot I was not going to miss was Sandy Beach or "Sandy's". It is a heavy shorebreak that accounts for a high number of spinal injuries each year. I had not bodyboarded for quite awhile since I no longer can surf on a weekly or even monthly basis. And my last several sessions were in surf of no real consequence. Besides the very small days, Sandy's usually always holds waves of consequence. In other words, you can't just mess around too much without getting pounded. Don't get me wrong, shorebreaks are a ton of fun, but you just got to know what you are doing.



I surfed Sandy's twice. The first time it looked somewhat fun until I saw some big peaks come in and detonate on the shallow sandbar. The set waves were very impressive, and the others were still nice crunchy closeouts. The whole setup was a little intimidating. I could count the number of people out in the lineup on one hand that where not Hawaiian. Although I can easily pass as not being a "kook", I think it must have been pretty obvious I was a tourist.



I waited for a lull and quickly paddled out as my nervous wife looked on. I was very patient and non-aggressive in catching waves at first. The reason was two-fold: First, you don't come into someone else's house and act like you own the place. This holds especially true for surf spots, and even more so for surf spots in Hawaii. Second, when at a new break it is wise to get a feel for the place; a feel for the rythym of the sets, the takeoff zone, and how aggressive the lineup is.



I eventually caught a few decent ones which was a lot of fun. I saw a big sea turtle out in the water which was really cool. Eventually I somehow happened to be sitting pretty much alone in front of a huge peak that was jacking up right in front of me. Until this point I had passively conceited these behemoths to those around me. I decided my time had come and flipped around for a pretty late take off. The decision was ratified by the hoots and hollers of my Hawaiian counterparts. I headed straight down the face, layed a quick bottom turn, was encircled by a thick hollow barrel for a second or two, then went through the wash cycle for a few seconds before emerging to the surface feeling like a champ. I got more than I could ask for during the session. I had gotten one of the waves of the day. Respect earns respect as my Hawaiian brothers not only let me enjoy a few waves with them, but cheered me through my first big Hawaiian shorebreak barrel. Mahalo!

Saving Myself From Insanity

I recently found out that blogs are a great way to save yourself from insanity, at least for the hobbyist like myself. It has been very hard to find the time and resources to keep up with a true passion of mine which is surfing. However I figured I can find a few minutes to post some pictures and comments about some of the things I love doing. In that light, I am creating this blog which will be dedicated to surfing (waveriding), waves, and the beauty of the ocean. Check back soon as this blog is a work in progress. Relax, and enjoy some pictures...