A Piece of San Diego History
Surfing in Surf City
By Brian Bergen

Nothing says San Diego better than a sunny day at the beach – and nothing makes a true San Diego beach day more complete than surfing.

In the rise of surfing’s popularity in the 1960’s, San Diego was at the core of the surfing scene. Immortalized in Beach Boys songs, the beaches of La Jolla – particularly Windansea Beach, were one of the hottest spots then and still are today.

If you are adventuresome and athletic and want to return home with a true San Diego surf story here are a few tips to get you started.

Find a board and a beach

San Diego is a beach town, but Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, or La Jolla Shores are the best overall spots to learn how to surf. There are ample vendors along the boardwalk and the main drags who have boards and accessories to rent. You can usually rent by the hour or the day. Go for the whole day – it’s a better deal and it will give you more time to hone your skills. Try renting a soft board over the traditional hard fiberglass boards. The soft boards are much easier to learn on.

What to wear

A bathing suit is a must – but depending on the water temperature, you may want to rent a wetsuit, too. The water is generally in the 60’s until July – so check with the lifeguards or the local newspaper’s weather page for the water temp. If you’re not wearing a wetsuit, you’ll want to wear a t-shirt, or lycra-type shirt called a rash guard to protect your skin. The surface of the board is rough and can cause a board rash. It will also help prevent a sun burned back. Board shorts work for both guys and gals.

Getting started and getting stoked

If you choose to go on your own (that is without the help of an instructor or a surf school), take your board down to the water’s edge and lay it fin-side down – like you would in the water. Remember, the fins go in the back of the board! Lay down on your board (while still on land) and practice your paddling motion. You’ll move your arms like your're swimming a freestyle stroke, but your chest, neck and head should be arched up. After getting the feel for that, grab the sides of the board and push yourself up, like you’re doing a push up. Try that a few times. Next, do your paddle, push up and scoot your feet underneath you to stand up. It should be one smooth motion – although it may feel quite awkward. After practicing that about ten times, now its time to try your luck in the water.

Beginners: do not try and go out where the rest of the surfers are; it is best if you stay closer to shore in what is called the ‘white water’. It will be easier for you to catch your first waves and you can stand up in the shallower water when you fall. Walk your board out till the water is about waist high and where you see the waves closest to shore breaking. Turn the nose of your board toward shore and look over your shoulder for the next wave coming. When it gets close, push off the bottom, jump up on your board and start paddling. When you feel the wave start to push you and you start moving, push yourself up and then stand. It may only be for a few seconds, but now you are SURFING! Ride your wave in and go right back out again. Rinse and repeat.