What's the best thing about regularly surfing a localized break? Tracy Ely, a building contractor and longtime PV surfer, finds that hassles for others mean more waves for him.

SWELL.COM: This is a pretty high-end neighborhood, huh?
TRACY ELY: Yeah, there was a little 1300-square-foot house up in Lunada Bay that just sold for $800 grand? And it was a fixer. [Laughs.] There are kids who surf around here who have trust funds and estates -- they'll never have to work.

We're happy for them. Which do you think is the better wave, Haggerty's or Indicator?
Haggerty's. Indicators is just a lot harder to get to, and the reefs are a lot more shallow.

I'm guessing it's a bit more localized, too?
Ah, I've never had a problem there, but I've surfed there since the early '70s. I've had problems at Haggerty's.

What about when it has size? Does that spread things out a bit?
Yeah, it opens up through the middle break, and there are just more waves for everyone. And Upper Hag's breaks, not very frequently, but when it does, the guys move up there.

So, on the localism scale, I guess Lunada gets the prize?
Yeah, it's still Lunada Bay. No contest.

You ever surf there much?
No. I know a lot of guys who surf there 'cause my wife went to school with a lot of them, and I've been on campouts with them and barbecues at their houses, but I've never been invited to surf with them.

And you grew up there?
No, I grew up in Torrance, but my wife grew up with them. And they're fun to hang with. I've surfed with them at other breaks, just not Lunada. It's a generational thing up there now: you've got guys surfing out there who are 40, and now their kids are surfing out there. I don't understand the mentality. I don't hang out with them that much, but I know I'm not welcome to surf with them. But, I'm a goofyfoot, and it's a right break, so I don't have a big desire anyway.

Well, it's supposed to be a pretty heavy wave. I mean, I've heard there are just a whole lot of water moving around out there.
Oh, yeah. But it's just awesome -- one of the best in California -- and holds any size.

Do you think the localism is justified?
No. Not at all. There was that lawsuit awhile back, and there have been fights. It's just brought a lot of bad publicity. These guys, they call themselves the Bay Boys, and they built a little cabana down there -- brought down some concrete.

Really? Concrete? I guess the days of the driftwood shacks are over.
Oh, yeah, it looked like a little Bahamas retreat -- palm fronds and all. Then they were forced to tear it all down, after the news crews started showing up. But they don't talk about that break too much 'cause they don't want people knowing how to get to it.

It's easy enough to find, but then it's that walk through the gauntlet at the bottom of the hill, I guess...
At any of the other breaks, if you're a good surfer and you know what you're doing, then no one bothers you. Seems like the worst problems, and this is anywhere, is when there's a group of guys out there, like high school guys, who get that pack mentality going: strength in numbers, showing off for each other. One time I was out at Haggerty's, and five or six guys were giving this guy a problem, and he was built like Schwarzenegger. So finally, he just ignored them, and when they dropped in on him, he'd just grab them by the neck of their wetsuit and just drag them off their board. [Laughs.] He wasn't a great surfer or anything, but it turns out he was into martial arts and all.

So what you lack in talent you can make up in muscle.
Not the way I'd do it, but while those guys are arguing, I'm catching waves.

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