Shark fins at Black's Beach and Pacific Beach

Name: Beth Colton

Age: 34

From: National City

Location: Ocean Beach Pier

Occupation: Staff at the San Diego Humane Society

Beth Colton just got done surfing with her nine-foot Sunova board inlaid with balsa wood when I saw her on the north side of the Ocean Beach Pier.

“When riding a longboard you’re not going to be doing much carving … luckily for this board, there’s a lot of flex and a lot of rockers so it’s able to move that way. It’s fun to do turns and stuff but its also fun to see what the waves gonna do with you.”

Today, the waves were about two-and-a-half-footers.

Colton’s been surfing everywhere in San Diego for the last three years. She does other water sports, including stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and crew rowing.

She moved to National City from the Midwest to work for the San Diego Humane Society.

“I’ve seen a couple of shark fins when surfing before at Pacific Beach and Black’s Beach,” she said. “Did I freak out? Yes! Did I get out of the water? No, because we are just more in their habitat. I know for a while they were trying to bring some of the great whites back.”

Colton’s fave surf spot is Turmo (aka Tourmaline Surf Park) because she learned to jump up on her board here on the mellow surf breaks.

Her worst wipeout was at Sunset Cliffs when three consecutive waves kept her underneath “forever...mother ocean definitely says to chill out and don’t get so cocky when you think you’re finally getting it.”