El Cajon to La Jolla in the name of surf

Name: Margaret Sporleder

Age: 20

From: El Cajon

Occupation: Swim instructor and lifeguard

Margaret Sporleder takes the 35-minute commute from El Cajon to La Jolla Shores. “The waves there don’t come in at an angle, they come horizontally which is easy for beginners. I avoid Windansea because the water’s very shallow and you can get caught on a reef and cut your foot.

“My brothers taught me. It took a while to catch on. The stronger you are the easier it is to ride the waves or swim out.

“Once I get to the point where I can’t touch the ground it makes me nervous because when you have to put your foot down on the sand you don’t know if there’s gonna be a stingray down there. Seeing the shadow of fish underneath me is also scary.”