Southern California 101 By Tanner Gudang

“Alt-left” craft is critical for the Southern California surfer. Whatever that may be, twin fin, egg, soft top or a grovelin’ thruster–the average day on the golden state’s bottom half is knee to waist high. Chest to head high days come through every now and again, but a run of swell comparable to the two weeks’ past are rare. As Tanner Gudang knows, in SoCal your groveler is the go-to, and you’ll only break out your step-up at home a few times a year, but the most use will be north of Point Conception. A good small wave board will make you surf more, and have more fun while doing it. And if you’ve been hopping around on your 5’10 high-performance board in knee-high slop, we recommend making an addition to your quiver.