Swamis, Encinitas, California: Local peeler in danger?

What you may know is that Swamis is a great wave almost no matter what the size. I’ve ridden it shin-high and had a great time and I watched it hold well over double overhead last December 21st with no problem. Swamis is a natural, gorgeous set up. It has easy access, dry-hair paddle out, insane set up, long walls, fast sections, and fun connecting sections. The inside works, the outside works, it even offers overflow capacity in nearby Boneyards. It’s my favorite wave in San Diego. Unfortunately the same sentiment is shared by lots of others.

What you may not know is that Swamis is about to be lost. A developer has purchased the Self Realization Fellowship property and will build a hotel, complete with privatizing the famed Swamis beach access and lineup. This is Hollister Ranch-privatization (blocked access) comes to north county. Ok, I’m kidding. I include this sick scenario because I often wonder what it will take for people to wake up and see that the very things that define so much of them (waves, beaches, ocean) are not just at risk but are in many cases already lost or seriously damaged. I used to think it would take a grotesque death due to pollution, but we had that last year with Oliver Johnson in Waikiki. Google “Oliver Johnson Waikiki” for the sordid details. The New York Times covered it but I’m not sure any of the surf mags gave it any ink at all. Thus, I’m a bit at a loss as to what it takes to break through to people. The bar is higher than I thought, thus my Swamis pseudo-drama.