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Hanging ten on the 101

By Angeline Tiamson

October 10, 2005

North County--Surfing sets the coastal communities of San Diego apart from their inland counterparts. Rare is the day one can drive down the 101 freeway without spotting a figure in a wet suit standing on a guard rail, poised with the token cup of coffee in hand, watching the activity and direction of the swells.

As a marker of how integrated surfing is in San Diegan culture, one does not need to go further than the dial on the radio: FM 94.9 has a daily surf report occurring between 7:15 and 7:30 every morning. Adding power to radio waves are the ones made on the internet: there are a handful of surf reports that are updated hourly to measure tides, from the free wavewatch.com to the informational pay site, surfline.com.

The surfers in North County surf the hidden spots and reefs: there’s the mellow break good for beginners off of El Cerezo and the 101 freeway, referred to as Terramar, where the guardrails proclaim “NO KOOKS ALLOWED” with pride.

We also surf Cassidy Street, where there’s a good break in between the brown apartments and lifeguard tower. There’s another good break by lifeguard tower 28 where Chestnut Street meets Carlsbad Boulevard: it’s the same break as Tamarack State Beach without the cacophony of its parking lot. There are red flowers that sometimes mark a good “right to left” wave just north of Beacon’s Beach in Leucadia.

Buccaneer Park, Oceanside Harbor for short boarders looking to advance their skills: swells break hard and fast here. Don’t forget the lights off the Oceanside pier for night surfing. Reefs south of and in Encinitas, Swami’s and Cardiff, prove for a fun, if overpopulated ride.

It’s wise to go into the water knowing that those waiting on the other side of the break are loyal to their spot and have created amongst themselves an unbreakable etiquette.

“You go in with an attitude, you get an attitude,” proclaims Oceanside local Zane Parker, who has inhabited his favorite spot by the Harbor for almost two years.

There is an inherent code of etiquette demanded of the surfers as they play at the feet of their watery altar: surf what you can handle, clean up after yourself on the beach, don’t get in another’s way or steal someone’s ride. Those who try to steal a wave from another (Surfers on the north side have the right of way.) are plentiful and their stories are told with a zest ordinarily belonging to ancestral folk tales. They’re also the ones that are no longer out there with everyone else.

If you’re a beginner looking to find your own spot, there are several dynamics to understand. Not only do you want to find a mellow, slow breaking reef that is conducive to learning, you want to befriend those in the surf and have respect for their routine. Abide by the code, and spend enough time out there to be called a “local,” and you’ll find yourself in the arms of one of the more inviting sides of San Diegan culture.