Dawn's Early Light

By Tom Modugno of Goleta Surfing

Climbing out of bed before sunrise, in the middle of winter, can be a task.

Slipping into a cold, damp wetsuit while the sun just starts to rise also can be a challenge.

But paddling out into an empty line up to get a front row seat to the greatest show on earth can make it all worthwhile.

Especially when there's some surf... and an offshore breeze.

Some places are so special and unique, the size of the surf is secondary to the overall environment.

This particular morning, the surf was a little soft, so that kept the crowd down.

See more at goletasurfing.com