Rocky’s Surf Shop Closing in Ocean Beach

Rocky's Surf Shop — named after a dog who surfed and was featured in Endless Summer II — has always been a surfboard-shopping destination.

This weekend, said current shop owner Doug Yates on September 15, Rocky’s is closing its doors after 25 years in Ocean Beach. Yates said he started as an employee 12 years ago and then bought the shop (on the corner of Muir Avenue and Abbott Street) from the second owner about 5 years ago.

In 2006, when Clark Foam went out of business, Yates said Rocky’s accounted for a high percentage of locally made surfboards. Without Clark blanks, the local industry slowed down and money poured into boards that were being made in China and Taiwan; they were made so cheaply, it created a glut of boards in the surf world. At that point, many surfers stopped buying new boards. They either bought them used or fixed up old ones.

O.B, shapers (such as John Holly, John Neves, and Jerry Sherman) also saw a tremendous drop in business. After those guys shaped the boards, they would have Yates fiberglass them.

Even though Yates said business has picked up about 25 percent in the past year, it was too little, too late. He said he still has a place near SeaWorld where he will continue to fiberglass/finish boards.

Everything is 30 to 50 percent off today (September 15), and he's most likely going to open one last day in September to blow everything out.