Dude...

On Tuesday, January 19, a tow-in surf duo (a jet-ski rider pulling a guy on a surfboard) was apprehended and ticketed after enjoying the large surf near the Tamarack jetties in Carlsbad.

At 11:55 a.m., I spotted three surfers just south of the jetties, braving the wind, cold, rain, and run-off pollution to ride the well-overhead waves. The strong winds and stormy conditions made it difficult for the two traditional surfers to drop in, but the tow-in surfer was screaming down the line, throwing up huge arcs of spray, and floating over the heavier sections.

The tow-in team drifted over to the north side of the jetties, caught another wave, and as the jet-ski rider was retrieving his partner from the inside, a lifeguard vehicle pulled into the beach parking lot and onto the sand. The tow-in team immediately headed out past the line-up, then north toward Oceanside. The lifeguard vehicle briefly followed along the beach until the surfers disappeared from view.

According to Oceanside Lifeguard Services spokesman Bill Curtis, the team was apprehended in Oceanside. The two men face fines of up to one thousand dollars. Tow-in surfing is not legal at any beaches in Southern California.