Aaron invited me to join him and Peter for some Sunday morning surfing at Sunset Blvd. I’d never been to this break before (new breaks are always exciting!) so I jumped at the offer. I’m not sure if this spot has a nickname or not, but it is the break where PCH meets Sunset Blvd. The best thing about this sweet spot is that it is ALL RIGHTS. And if you have been reading elPortoFridays.com lately, you know I have been pining for rights for weeks now. The bad news was that the swell that had been bringing big treasures all week was beginning to give up the ghost. We had to make do with 2 and 3 footers that were too lazy to pick up any surfers on the way to the rocks. Both Peter and Aaron separately gave me the old Endless Summer refrain – “You should have been here yesterday.” Apparently the day before was some awesome 3-4s that were begging to be ridden. Still we made the best with what we were given and had fun all the same.
The biggest danger at Sunset is the rocks. While riding the waves in your atttention is divided between the wave you are riding and the rocks of impending doom that are racing toward you. As much as I wanted to hot dog on the waves, I really spent most of my time making sure I always had a sweet exit strategy that kept both me and my board clear of the rocks.
Also, to get to the water you either have to climb down these rocks (that continue into the water), or walk down PCH through hobo leavings and dodging traffic to enter at the sand and paddle over to the break. Idealy you may find a parking spot on PCH right on the sand so you can cut out the rocks and the hobo leavings. (I was not so fortunate today.)
I did manage to cut my foot on a rock when getting out, which is a bummer, but always preferable to cutting your foot while getting in and becoming shark bait. Maybe next time I’ll wear booties.