First Time at Leo Carrillo

I went camping with the wife and friends at Leo Carrillo State Beach this weekend.  I’d surfed a few different spots around Malibu, but never Leo.  The forecast was showing that the pumping swell from the week should have been dying off, but it was not so.  Both Friday and Saturday were perfection.  I’d brought my Revolver and the Junod for board choices.  I always like to have the Revolver when I go to a new spot; it’s such a great all-around board.

The kelp was insanity.  But what really spooked me was having to take off right from the rock point.  (If you’ve never seen this spot, there is a giant, sharp rock protruding out of the water that plies the swell and creates a beautiful right peeler.  But to get it, one must paddle frighteningly close to the rock to pick up the wave.)  I paddled out and watched the others take off for a while before summoning the courage to go.  But it was all worth it.

The take off was a bit alarming as the kelp would grab and snag on the fin, so there was a kind of stutter to the board while riding away from the rock.  Then there’d be a lovely clean face for a bit until the wave died down.  But persisting through the mushy section led to shangri-la.  The wave would stand back up and start moving so fast down the line.  Dig in and ride the lightning.  It was so spectacular.

And nearly every wave was like that – straight brilliant.