South Mission Beach Jetty

Name: Chris Hartin Lives: Pacific Beach Surfing: South Mission Beach Jetty

"I grew up in that house there," says Chris Hartin, pointing to a row of homes overlooking the South Mission Jetty. "The house with the pointy roof." Having surfed P.B. and South Mission his whole life, Chris has advice to beginners who want to surf the South Mission Jetty: "Don't come."

Of San Diego residents who do find their way to his home beach, Chris says, "We [South Mission Jetty regulars] don't like it." In fact, Chris says there was a brawl on the beach the night before this interview. "Couple of kooks dropping in on guys who surf here every day, and they got beat up for it."

Chris says the attitude toward nonlocals who surf South Mission is one of necessity. "It's so focused on such a small place; every wave comes to one spot, and you have guys dropping in. It's dangerous."

Regulars are a higher caliber surfer and entitled to the better waves at South Mission Jetty, says Chris. "This place has the best left in Southern California when it's turned on. You have a bunch of guys who are brand new and bad surfers, and they want to come here without paying their dues, and then there are guys who have surfed here every day for 30 years."

Chris rides only Schneider boards, made by a local shaper in Ocean Beach. "I grew up with his kid. He knows how I like my boards, and he shapes them for me." One of his boards is decorated with the initials "SMJ," for South Mission Jetty, and "PBHP," for Pacific Beach Hell Patrol. "It's a name the PB kids call ourselves."