Why I love surfing on the Central Coast of California
4 months in
After all this time, I still spend a huge amount of time wiping out. Or paddling to the back line and feeling like I am not moving at all. However, in the past four months I have surfed more than the past seven years total.
One of my reasons for looking heavily at jobs in California was to be able to surf regularly. Not one or two times a year on vacation and the inevitable cycle of start/stop start/stop. I interviewed in Philadelphia, Northern Houston, Kauai, San Diego, and SLO, a total whirlwind. Perhaps metaphorically, besides this place being the best job fit for me, it was also the only place where I was able to surf before interviewing. (In both San Diego and Kauai there were recent storms and the water quality was really bad.)
Having been at a number of spots around the world, I can actually say with confidence that the central coast is one of the best places for someone like me, who is at a beginner – intermediate stage and looking to progress. There is an imaginary triangle and the three points are as follows:
Consistent waves
Not too many people
Warm water
You can pick two :)
The water here can be really cold, but that’s the one thing that is semi under our control. The first wetsuit that I got was a 5/4 thickness, which felt like a cocoon and took about half an hour of awkwardness to take on and off. A 4/3 is perfect for me. Most importantly though, when the waves are nice, this is one of the least crowded places that I have ever seen. I remember when I was in Sri Lanka this past summer, Arugam Bay had so many people that in about five minutes I saw three collisions. Instructors were pushing people onto waves all the time, and there were just so many people in the water. Of course not all spots are like this, but there are many.
All the time, I’m struck by this combination of glassiness, good size, and friendliness of people in the water here. Once in a while there is some localism, but it’s really rare, and people are encouraging. I also have met a couple of awesome ladies while surfing who have become friends.
Morro Bay and Pismo Beach are the spots I go to most frequently. I’m biased towards Pismo since I live so close by and there is a sandy bottom (there was that great time when I ran straight onto a rock at Shell Beach). I have tried to go in the early mornings before work but have just not been able to get my shit together. Whenever the work schedule coincides, I head right over to be able to catch the sunset and blue hour.
Another final thing that is always on my mind having come from the northeast: parking. I’m still so scarred from when I was parking half on the sidewalk in Philadelphia. From my own experience, there are no other beaches in California that are as accessible as the ones here. I struggled for parking and San Diego and LA and it was painful when I just wanted to get out into the water. At Pismo, the Addie Street surfers parking lot and Wadsworth St spots are FREE. The Pismo Beach pier is free before 10 AM.
Hopefully the residents who have been here a while realize how great they have it. With the waves getting smaller as we come out of winter, all I’m looking to do is to have some fun longboard sessions as often as possible.
