It’s easy to be in the mood to surf when the sun is shining, waves are glassy and you can paddle out in your swimsuit. Julie Cox—who was raised in Southern California’s easy beach culture—got a chilly wake-up call when she moved to San Francisco.
Her leisurely SoCal routine of cruising to and from the beach before work turned into shlepping her longboard down a steep and narrow apartment staircase, suiting up in a beefy 4/3 and booties, and driving home in her wetsuit because it felt too frosty to undress in the parking lot. At the end of the season, she surfed less and less.
“The motivation factor wasn’t there as often because of the board shlepping and the cold,” said Julie. That says a lot for someone whose pathways (she’s been sponsored by Roxy, worked as a surf retreat instructor, and was Director of the California Surf Museum in Oceanside) always led out to sea.
To soften the edge of surfing in the Bay Area’s chillier waters, Julie opened the Traveler Surf & Swim Club in Pacifica, a short walk to her favorite nearby surf spot, Linda Mar beach. Even though the Bay Area is home to many surfers—from the Ocean Beach and Mavericks heavies to weekend warriors from the city—Julie explained that surfers don’t gather the same way they do in Southern California.
She hopes the surf and swim club can change that.
“Up here, the beach culture isn’t laying out on the sand after [surfing], hanging out on in your towel and chit-chatting. It’s kind of cold. You’re putting on your beanie and going to get something warm to drink or heading back home,” she said.
After surfing, members can walk to the Traveler Surf & Swim Club, grab their dry clothes out of their locker, stow away their surfboard, take a hot shower, and warm up in the communal garden common area on the heated bench with a fresh cup of hot coffee or tea in hand.
“That warm bench, no one wants to leave it,” Julie laughs. “You’re literally sitting next to someone and go, hi, ‘I’m this person!’ The whole club part is to hang out a little longer in a cool space and meet other people. It's a way to warm up your muscles after surfing and have it be the next launch pad for what you’re going to do the rest of your day. It’s a nice little transition place.”
The surf and swim club amenities function like a gym membership or a yoga studio. Committed dawn patrollers can pay a monthly fee to enjoy all the amenities (showers, lockers, off hours access, surfboard storage, hot beverages, and 10% off the retail shop where you can buy beach and outdoor goods, including Seea swimsuits); and if you're not in Pacifica as often, you can purchase a pack of day passes, or individual day passes.
Club events and social gatherings, and picking Julie’s brain for surf recommendations (Where to sign up for a women-friendly surf lesson? That would be with Julie, who’s an excellent teacher) are free to all. Check out their online calendar or follow @__t_r_a_v_e_l_e_r__ on Instagram for the next film screenings, foodie pop-ups, and mini concerts.
Special just for Seea friends! Get $10 off any Club Membership (includes 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, annual, and Day Pass packages) or a single Day Pass! Simply enter the code: SEEABABESSURFCLUB at the Traveler online store checkout to redeem. Limited to one per customer. Offer ends November 1, 2017.
Surf photos of Julie Cox by Leslie Muirhead.
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1 comment
Marissa
What a great idea for cold water surfers! Will drop by next time I go to Linda Mar.
What a great idea for cold water surfers! Will drop by next time I go to Linda Mar.