OCEAN BEACH
San Francisco’s premiere surfing location, Ocean Beach is defined by cold water and salty locals. The waves break on ever-shifting sand bars, resulting in tenuous breaks that frequently usher riptides. The wave is dense, fast, and generally unfriendly. As I sit in my car, sipping coffee, I view OB as nature’s challenge rather than a gift. Each paddle out stretches my shoulders and every duck dive shocks my brain with cold. Even as I eventually work up the resolve to suit up, I see the lineup full of others who woke up earlier, waded through colder water, twice as eager or twice as desperate.
The hook
Below bluffs packed with tourist onlookers and seabirds alike, lies The Hook. The Hook is a Nor Cal watering hole for local fauna and saltwater addicted locals. The kelp forests invite seals, otters, and dolphins while the careening rights invite longboarders. Apart from an uncharacteristically sketchy entrance through crashing waves and over tide pools, The Hook is a mellow, sunbaked retreat. The egoless ecosystem has exposed me to the most helpless kooks and effortless pros. Prepubescent gromms and grey old timers battle for waves in a landscape populated by those that enjoy the simple pleasure of a long and slow right.
Bolinas
Shielded by mountains from the rest of the Bay Area lies Bolinas. The sleepy beach town is home to technically imperfect surf but makes up for it with its warm, salt-stained atmosphere. Dreamlike waves form far away from the shore, allowing for multiple take off points or a single spiritual ride for those willing to make the long paddle out. In terms of quiver, the longest, heaviest, volume-est board is ideal. Although you will seldom see shortboards carving through the white water, watching the sun set over the mountains and through the trees while floating on a fiberglass log is worth the price of admission.
