The Wedge is a weird and wonderful place.
It’s unlike any other surf spot in Southern California, with gigantic waves breaking just a few feet from shore, and all types of waveriders on all types of boards – soft-tops, bodyboards, skimboards, the usual foam and fiberglass, no boards (bodysurfing), etc.
But recently, one surfer opted for something completely different.
The clip above (click through to watch on YouTube, or scroll down to see it reposted on Instagram) shows a guy riding a blowup mattress – the type you might find at a teenage sleepover or on a camping trip. And somehow, he paddles the cumbersome craft out to the lineup, and successfully rides a supersized wave.
If you have any experience with inflatable mattresses – either in the water, or out – then you’ll know this is no easy feat. They’re unwieldy, awkward, large. The fact that this nameless surf craft experimentalist made this wave is downright impressive.
Commenters on the video applauded the wave as such:
“The real skill was in getting that mattress out beyond the break.”
“Surfboard $700 Air Mattress? Priceless.”
“Somebody give this guy the Nobel prize for something.”
“Gives floaters whole new meaning.”
“This is great. Wish there was a whole video on the raft guy.”
Stay tuned for more Wedge antics to come; the season’s just begun.
The Wedge Stats/Info
Wave Type: Lefthand tube/shorebreak
Season: Spring – Fall
Skill Level: Experts only
Best Board to Ride: Shortboard, soft-top, skimboard, bodyboard, no board (bodysurf)
Ideal Swell Direction: SW, SSW, S, SSE
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