One good reason to surf the dawn patrol at El Porto was the parking lot meters didn’t start until 9am. Get in the water at 645, surf for two hours, a quick rinse in the shower next to the stairs and you’re in the office by 930, with that stoke that lasts through the day.
But changes this weekend might result in your stoke turning to ire – the city has dropped the time the meters begin from 9am to 8am. Which means the casual pre-surf parking lot chit chat and board waxing are suddenly much more expensive. As is forgetting a watch and staying in the water past 8. Systems will have to be devised to feed the meters mid-surf, and carpooling may become more attractive. Alternative surf spots with meter-free parking will likely become more visited too.
On the bright side, I did notice that yesterday’s thin crowd at EP almost entirely left the water very early into my morning session. Maybe it was the 1′, crap waves, but the threat of a $50 parking ticket likely had something to do with it.