After surfing in Sayulita, Mexico, Alex and I decided to try surfing in Santa Cruz. I found a well-regarded surf sport called Pleasure Point in Capitola and a nearby shop to rent gear - RipCurl (on 41st Avenue). The rental prices are high - $25/board and $20/wetsuit.
We rented two NSP 60 fishes and a wetsuit for Alex (I had my own) and walked downhill to the Cliff Beach surf spot. The surf looked relatively high - 4-6 feet, but we were eager to try the new boards.
The ocean water was a bit cold - especially on the exposed hands and feet - but I got used to it after a while. Paddling into the surf took some practice on the shorter fish. Balancing oneself was definitely more challenging.
My first focus was to learn duck diving. Due to their buoyancy, my board was too complex to duck dive, and I did Eskimo rolls instead. They were also much more challenging to get planing - perhaps they were not ready for the shorter boards.
We spent a few hours trying to catch waves and avoiding being overwhelmed by vast monsters barreling down. I had a few rides but could never stand for more than a few seconds (before falling).
After surfing, we stopped by for a slice of pizza at the local Pleasure Pizza (which served thick-crust pizzas). It looked like Pizza My Heart in Los Gatos - complete with hanging surfboards and surfing photos. The pizza is quite different from the thin crust version in Pizza My Heart but still delicious.
We also stopped by for a quick bite of ice cream at the Penny Creamery nearby.
We rented two NSP 60 fishes and a wetsuit for Alex (I had my own) and walked downhill to the Cliff Beach surf spot. The surf looked relatively high - 4-6 feet, but we were eager to try the new boards.
The ocean water was a bit cold - especially on the exposed hands and feet - but I got used to it after a while. Paddling into the surf took some practice on the shorter fish. Balancing oneself was definitely more challenging.
My first focus was to learn duck diving. Due to their buoyancy, my board was too complex to duck dive, and I did Eskimo rolls instead. They were also much more challenging to get planing - perhaps they were not ready for the shorter boards.
We spent a few hours trying to catch waves and avoiding being overwhelmed by vast monsters barreling down. I had a few rides but could never stand for more than a few seconds (before falling).
After surfing, we stopped by for a slice of pizza at the local Pleasure Pizza (which served thick-crust pizzas). It looked like Pizza My Heart in Los Gatos - complete with hanging surfboards and surfing photos. The pizza is quite different from the thin crust version in Pizza My Heart but still delicious.
We also stopped by for a quick bite of ice cream at the Penny Creamery nearby.
0 comments:
Post a Comment