THE high cliffs and green hills of La Jolla, Calif., are undeniably gorgeous, but the show going on in the water below them was positively dizzying. Golden Garibaldi fish swam among swaying leaves of kelp; stingrays and a small shark kicked up grainy clouds of sand. A dark reef loomed amid imposing waves as we approached the headland.
I was experiencing my first successful attempt at standup paddling on a surfboard, and the sensation of rowing upright across the glassy ocean without the energy of a swell made me feel like an astronaut on a spacewalk. Standing above the aquatic world like this turned surfing into an utterly new experience.
The idea of surfing with an oar had intrigued me ever since I’d first seen photos of Maui’s legendary big wave rider, Laird Hamilton, cruising down the long, perfect waves at Surfrider Beach in Malibu with a paddle. Later I met a standup paddle surfer during a big swell near Melbourne, Fla., who told me that the sport did wonders for his balance and let him gain more speed paddling for a wave. He also said that it made it far easier to spot sharks.
By CHRIS DIXON
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