Name: Jeff Marr

Occupation: Lab technician

Age: 38

Lives in: Ocean Beach

Night-surfing: Dog Beach

Pre-surf music: Marvin Gaye

Post-surf food: Fish tacos

“It’s so peaceful and beautiful at night, I can literally walk out my door and be catching a wave in less than five minutes. It can be a little cold, so I just make sure to stay bundled up,” says Marr.

Jeff began surfing on his eighth birthday, on a board bought by his father in Hawaii. Jeff’s grandparents, parents, and sister are all longtime surfers. Originally from Maui, Jeff relocated to San Diego when he was 15.

“I don’t remember a time when I couldn’t surf. My dad started us off very young and taught us to be respectful of the ocean. I spend a lot of my free time volunteering with organizations committed to environmental well-being.”

Jeff is organizing an outreach program for at-risk teens that involves surfing. His favorite surfing trip was with his church to Costa Rica.

“I spent a lot of time in the water getting to know the locals. The beaches are so beautiful and their community seemed very close-knit and familial. And the surf was killer!”

How does the surfing community of San Diego measure up?

“It’s lovely here. As soon as my son is old enough to teach, I can’t wait to get him in the water. I am very blessed to live in a place like this where the natural resources are abundant and safe. I plan to continue our family tradition.”

In his 30 years of surfing, Jeff has seen some wild things in the water.

“I had just paddled out at Windansea and felt something hit me in the back. I turned around thinking maybe it was kelp and saw a huge metal chunk floating in the water. It turned out to be part of the door to a car. I never figured out where it came from, I just took it in with me and threw it away.”