Face first into coral reef in Fiji

Amanda was surfing Cardiff Reef on her 9’6″ triple stinger when I reached out to her.

“When I’m home I typically like to keep it mellow — I like to walk the board,” she said. “I surf to see my friends on the lineup, to be at one with the ocean and for peace of mind.”

Amanda, of Encinitas, has been surfing in the Cardiff-by-the-Sea area since she was eight years old. Her father taught her. “He was passionate about the ocean and surfing and wanted to instill that in my life so we could enjoy it together. One day, I hope to pass that tradition on to my kids.”

Amanda is a flight attendant by trade. She’s got a 9’2″, 9′, 8′, 6’2″ and a 6′ in her quiver— to select from in case she has a “totally tubular” layover. “You have to have different boards for different conditions,” she said.

“I feel better after any session, except for one time when I was a little too ambitious. I had my worst wipeout at Cloudbreak in Tavarua, Fiji. I was sucked over the falls during low tide and went face first into the sharp coral reef. I sustained major trauma to my face, neck and chest and had eleven stitches in my left cheek. Considering the ten-foot wave and how low the tide was, I was very lucky to make it out of the situation alive.”