Swamis Guia

The turbaned Self-Realization Fellowship in Encinitas was built for Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, today it overlooks one of the most popular waves in San Diego County: Swami's. The right point, a rarity in San Diego, needs a decent swell to show a hint of its potential, but it's generally the daily hub of North County surfing during the winter months.

On crowded days, even the most skilled shortboarders find themselves battling for leftovers on the inside, while the established crew has its way on the outside. This is not necessarily a bad thing, being that the smaller waves are usually steeper and offer a couple of bowl sections. Pretty much any wave at Swami's is a good wave, and a rider is guaranteed at least one or two sections to hit even on the worst of days. The drop is generally mellow, and then the wave races across a shallow ledge on the inside until it eventually hits a huge channel.

Depending on the tide, the wave breaks with varying degrees of steepness. Obviously, lower tides make for the speediest waves. There is a short left that can be surfed if you are getting so shut down on the right that you need something just to keep the blood flowing. If this is the case, paddle deeper than the rest of the pack and sneak off to the left. Swami's can handle as big of a swell as the Pacific cares to throw its way-and gets better as the size increases.