Van dwelling down the coast from Washington! Surf with me!

[Saltsups]

So me and my SO have been road tripping from orange beach Alabama since October 1st (www.gulfofmexicans.wordpress.com) we did a real quick run from LA up the pch to Washington. Got to surf Santa Monica pier (crap), c-street (chill), and Leo Carrillo (got bullhorned out??)  now we are heading back down the coast as we are sick of this cold. Once we get to cali we plan on taking it slow and just surfing and relaxing. Assuming we ride the entire coast down to the border I'm guessing we are passing right thru the backyards of a lot of you guise:).... so give us the tour.. let's surf, explore, or just chitchat. Our favorite part of this crazy van journey is meeting new people. I've been riding a while so super down to charge some big ones. I also run a rental shop back home and am dealer for yolo and jimmy Lewis. So If your not down for a surf we'd love to get some lunch and talk industry.. really just wanna surf your secret spot though.. spred the love, check out the Gus bus and hear some of our stories, and if your ever on the Alabama gulf coast I'll repay the kindness.

Buena onda
Harrison Butler

[laszlo]

What were you doing at the Santa Monica Pier? And  why did the lifeguard (I'm guessing that's who it was) bullhorn you out of Secos?

[Saltsups]

We drove straight in from Vegas toward the coast and that's just the first beach we hit. It was waist high and very dumpy. Had to still get my first California surf though! Idk what the deal with Leo Carrillo was tho?? Only out for like 20 minutes... great waves, people seemed cool, then I heard the bullhorn. Didn't see where it came from. didn't wanna cause trouble. Promptly left

Edit: did I get booted unjustly? Thought the vessel rule was done?? That was a dreamy little wave I would love to get back too.

[surfcowboy]

Leo is not a SUP spot. I surf it quite a bit on a longboard and it is a beautiful wave. I've camped there on a Sunday night and had it all to myself on a Monday dawn patrol. All time.

The reasons for no SUP actually make sense for once.

1. It's a tiny take off and a SUP could dominate the lineup, more than one would end everyone's day. There's literally an 6' to 8' wide place to take off.

2. It's a dangerous take off. There's a rock to the left that's obvious and one just barely under the surface where you take off (it's out at a really low tide) so the old "over the nose" SUP fall or a pearl dive could send you to the ER. On a longboard, you slide over it on your belly and pop up just after you clear it. (It's pretty terrifying when you first start surfing the break.

Beautiful wave, lay down and have a ball but even as a SUS'er who hates arbitrary rules, this one has a good reason.

[Saltsups]

hmm I didn't think the rocks were that bad... guess I'm used to the madness from surfing bocas del toro for a year! I was even taking the mini lefts on the other side of the big rock..and. there was some serious boulders over there. Was a small takeoff.. but idk there was plenty of scraps on the inside.. and a bounce off the big rock everyone would miss. I can see what you mean though.. one kook

[Saltsups]

One c street noseride for y'all 
Also next day van report.. waking up in a cold Kent,WA Walmart parking lot now.. mr buddy cranked up. Headed your way when the sun comes up!

[laszlo]

hmm I didn't think the rocks were that bad... guess I'm used to the madness from surfing bocas del toro for a year! I was even taking the mini lefts on the other side of the big rock..and. there was some serious boulders over there. Was a small takeoff.. but idk there was plenty of scraps on the inside.. and a bounce off the big rock everyone would miss. I can see what you mean though.. one kook

Leo Carrillo State beach(known as Secos by locals) is another spot that has two distinct areas, like Topanga, one of which is off limits to SUPs but not the other. The main take off spot, to the right of the rock(surfer's right, looking from the water to shore) is indeed very restricted and would be SUPable only when empty (meaning no waves). However when there is a solid south swell and it is breaking overhead at the rock, there is a second take off further down the beach and closer to shore, more or less in front of the stairs. It is a steeper and shorter section than the main break but it is great fun on a shorter SUP, and no problem with surfers or the lifeguard. I got one of my best tubes ever on a SUP on that wave. During the summer months the lifeguards put out a line of buoys, separating the two sections between surfers and windsurfers. The windsurf section is also the SUP section, since the two are not usually on the water at the same time. Of course, one way to combine the two is to Windsup! On a really big south it will break further out, near another rock that you have to be aware of, called the "Boil Rock" by windsurfers.  That"s it above my head in the second pic.

[surfcowboy]

It is true that the south breaks when its big. I've never really gotten it, but it is a fun inside.

Forgot to say to the OP that I love that you're getting some fun times traveling and seeing the US. I'm jealous. I have to do a bit of that myself.

Hope you find friendly waves and aloha as you travel. Sorry about Leo but there are so many good waves up and down this coast. Hope you score a ton.

[Saltsups]

Thanks for the advice guys. In Arcada.. very happy to have reached the coast! Drove from roseburg Oregon and the snowy mountains were a little scary for our humble van. Gonna snoop around here tomorrow to try to find a wave before we continue south. Maybe I'll get ahold of a normal surfboard and I can still catch some waves at Leo... if not like surfcowboy said... plenty of coast. And surfcow.. you can do it! we bought our van and pimped it out with a bed and power for under 2000$. 3 months on the road and haven't stayed in a hotel yet gas and ramen that's all you need

Edit: I wanna try one of those windsups so bad

[PonoBill]

Nice trip. Here's a tip for Ramen. Get a dozen eggs and boil them for five and a half minutes in water with a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in it. Peel the eggs--they'll peel easily after boiling in alkaline water. The yolks will be jammy, the whites firm. When your Ramen is ready cut an egg in half lengthwise and drop it in the ramen to warm up. Turns your 70 cent ramen into a ten buck fancy ass dish. Trust me on this. A handful of bean sprouts is nice too.  I lived in a van for more than a year. Loved it.

Also, when you head south, do Highway one, but check to see if there's any sections out. The mudslides take out sections regularly. Hit Bodega bay and stop at one of the oyster companies--they do barbeque oysters that are top notch.  Equally good in Brookings, but you're south of there already.

[SUP Sports ®]

...snippity...

Also, when you head south, do Highway one, but check to see if there's any sections out. The mudslides take out sections regularly. Hit Bodega bay and stop at one of the oyster companies--they do barbeque oysters that are top notch.  Equally good in Brookings, but you're south of there already.

Yummy...love me some Bodega Bay barbecued bivalve molluscs...;-)

[Bean]

Damned...two hours till lunch!

[TallDude]

Well, don't come to San Onofre....... because you'll probably never want to leave. If you do happen this way, I'm sure we'll run into each other. Just remember I usually go right