I soaked up the last bit of heat, listened to the final chords of the Khruangbin track softly playing through the speakers and cut the engine off. I stepped out and looked at the overcast sky. It was a rare gloomy day in SoCal. The morning air was brisk, cool and judging by the lack of surfers bobbing in the line up, I was most certain the water was even cooler. The tide was high and waves were coming in steadily. The combination of quiet winds and a recent swell made for glassy conditions. The surf report said to expect 3-4 foot waves but it seemed more like 2-3. Here at La Jolla Shores beach, that’s pretty much the norm. The conditions are usually small and more than manageable at this surf break. After a few more seconds of watching the ocean and the other surfers paddling out, I took one last deep breath and glanced down at the Seiko diver on wrist. It read a quarter to seven; time to suit up and get out there.
Before we go further, let me provide a bit of backstory. My connection between a Seiko diver and surfing runs deep. My Seiko SKX013 has always been my go to choice when I decide to get a surf session in. That watch holds a special place in my heart for multiple reasons. It fit my need for a compact diver as my first watch purchase, sparked my interest to go deeper into the watch hobby and inspired me to get outdoors, and more specifically, to try out surfing. Now let?s be clear, I?m an average surfer at best and it took a month?s worth of trips to the b...