Surfin' Bettys in California

When in Rome...  That's the attitude I adopted when I moved to California.  And what better way to adopt to the California lifestyle, than to take up surfing!

It's actually a bit of a funny story how I started surfing.  The short story is that I tried it almost as a dare.  Turned out I absolutely loved it, and surfed for 8 hours straight on my first day!  Needless to say, I was hooked!

So, I just wanted to share some pics of my fellow surfin' Betty's.  Unfortunately, I don't have many pics of myself, as I am always the one with the camera.  The only one I could find is this one at the left, with me standing next to my brother in law, the day I taught him to surf.

Below is my surfer friend Jenny waxing her longboard.  Waxing a board is like an artform for surfers.  We actually look at other surfers' boards to check on the wax job that they have.  A good wax job is one that is clean (no sand or dirt), and with evenly distributed wax bumps all over the top of the board.  This is necessary for good grip, so we don't slip off the board when we are catching a wave.

Below is my other surfing friend, Charisse.  She is suiting up and stretching before a surf session.  Surfing can get a little rough, so it is important to stretch well beforehand so you don't hurt yourself.  We also wear wetsuits to keep us warm in the water.  I'm pretty thin skinned, so I wear a wetsuit year round, though in the summer I usually wear a shortie (short sleeves, short pantlegs).  In the winter I wear a fullsuit (full length sleeves and pantlegs).

Below, Jenny and Charisse are going in the water together.  Jenny is using a longboard and Charisse is using a shortboard.  Longboards and shortboards behave very differently in the water.  It's like the difference between a sportscar and a van.

Surfing is a very social sport, and I almost always surf with friends.  It's just not as much fun without them.  It is also safer to surf with a buddy for safety.  Of course, when my friends aren't available to surf and I really want to catch some waves, it's a good opportunity to make new friendships.  My surfer friends are some of THE best people that I have ever met.

Every surfer is at a different proficiency level.  Most experienced surfers love to see excited new surfers, but they also know that some beaches and waves are appropriate for more experienced skill levels.  Anyone looking to learn to surf is advised to take some lessons from one of the many surf schools in California.

So if you surf any of the South Bay beaches of El Porto or Rat Beach, send me a note and we'll set up a "board meeting" sometime!

Tiffany D. Wilson has lived in the South Bay of Los Angeles County for almost 10 years.  She and her family enjoy the safety and rich family features that the beach communities of the South Bay have to offer, including a close and neighborly community.  Also, having experienced an out-of-country move to California over 10 years ago, she is perfectly positioned to assist foreign buyers in their search for real estate in the South Bay and additional surrounding communities of Los Angeles and Orange County.  She can be reached directly at 310-503-0557.