Tourmaline Surfing Park

Name: Jess Hamilton

Home: Pacific Beach

Vehicle: 2005 Toyota 4Runner

Surfing: Tourmaline Surfing Park

Jess Hamilton is an electrician. He says his job affords him the time and means to indulge in his hobbies. "I was a ski-lift operator in Oregon. That's the thing when you're a ski-lift operator, you don't make enough money to do anything else." He learned to surf in Hawaii, has surfed Florida and Oregon, and when he settled in San Diego, he bought himself a 2005 Toyota 4Runner. Jess bought the car because of the versatility and cargo capacity to store sports and camping gear. "I camp in the desert and ride quads. I snowboard, surf. You can either put a rack on top for the boards or fold the passenger-side headrest down and put them in there. You could get up to a ten-foot board in there."

Jess has two boards in his SUV: a Xanadu shortboard and a Smithfield 9'0". He prefers board socks to bags because, "They make great beach blankets. You can take them down to the beach and sit on them, but they also bunch up, and you can get them out of the way."

Another item Jess carries in the back of his SUV is his high-end wetsuit. "It's a Patagonia. They have one store in Cardiff, or you can get them on the website." The suit is a 4/3mm, but has the thickness of a 5/4mm because of a wool liner. Jess says the Patagonia is warmer but lighter than conventional suits. "They're also a greener company; they don't use petroleum in the production of their suits, so they don't have to dispose of harsh chemicals." Jess changes his wetsuit while standing in a clear plastic tub so he doesn't puncture it on a pebble. "These things are expensive!"