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October 30,  2 0 0 5

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Surf’s Up!…Way Up!!
by Patricia Kutza

We are on the cusp of November.  However folks on the northern California coast who have seen the size of the surf lately don’t need a calendar to know that winter is upon us.  There’s big surf and extreme tides.  And lots of drama for surfers eager to catch the perfect wave as well as folks satisfied just to watch the action from the boardwalk.

I asked a veteran surfer to give me the skinny on the best places to get in on the show.

He pointed me to Surfline.com (www.surfline.com).  This site is a great jumping off point with live web cams and surf reports for both northern and southern California.  There’s also video footage, surf news and a surfing glossary (just in case you want to talk some surfing lingo)

If you don’t mind banking on serendipity, then there are a few places that usually won’t disappoint.  On any one day, even if the surfers are scarce and the waves demure, there will still be plenty of interesting sights and sounds:

  •  San Francisco at Ocean Beach…Lots of beach and great views of the ocean, Marin Headlands and the Sutro Bath ruins from the Cliff House (www.cliffhouse.com)
     

  • Monterey Bay.You’ll share your walk on the Wharf with bicyclists, rollerbladers, tricycles and runners.  It’s also a popular day stop for cruise ships on their way to Cabo San Lucas and Catalina Island.

  • Santa Cruz…My favorite area since its walkway has a meandering feeling to it.  Wind your way from the Natural Bridges to the Lighthouse.  Feel in a carnival mood?  Amble over to the Santa Cruz boardwalk replete with its famed amusement park.

If enjoying the surf solely from the beach is a tad too tame, the Santa Cruz-based Pleasure Point Inn (http://www.pleasurepointinn.com/package2/welcome.htm) is offering to turn you from a wannabe into a participant with  a package that includes a two-night stay at the Inn which fronts on Monterey Bay at the Pleasure Point surf break plus surfing lessons for the Club Ed Surf School.  The class covers ocean and wave safety, surfing etiquette, paddling skills and other surfing techniques.

Whether you choose to get wet or just linger on the sidelines, now is the time to check out the coast.  Either way, you’re in for a thrill.