GO Field Notes CA

GO

field notes

carlsbad beach

San Diego, CA

Story by Noelle McKay

Photography by Cole Ferguson

East coast, west coast, north, south – no matter where he lands, Tommy Pease has always been able to catch a wave. Even in New York.

“Believe it or not, I actually caught some really good waves when I lived in Long Island and would surf in Long Beach,” Tommy said. “Just not in the winter.”

Surfing leads you through life, especially when you’re young and with hope in your heart.

– Tom Blake

Tommy grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida, and climbed on his first board when he was 8 years old.  An older neighborhood friend would push him out into the waves to help him get going.  But because Tommy was into a variety of sports, the passion didn’t catch fire until he was in middle school.
“I realized surfing is a little bit different than other sports. Many times you are out there by yourself and you have time to reflect in the water. The meditation aspect is a little bit different. You can be out there and have time to collect your thoughts and at the same time have a huge adrenaline rush when you catch a wave.”

May your adventures bring you closer together, even as they take you far away from home.

– Trenton Lee Stewart

Home for Tommy is San Diego, California where he and his wife Dre own and operate Crossfit Trifecta.  As part of their healthy lifestyle, Tommy and Dre, along with daughter Dylan (9 yrs. old) and son Jett (6 yrs. old), enjoy spending time as a family outdoors.

“If you don’t have an appreciation for surfing, and really the outdoors in general, before the pandemic, you sure do now. Surfing is amazing for your state of mind. It’s free, there are no lines, and the only thing you have to work for are your waves.”

Their desire as a family to experience camping and the outdoors, especially after the onset of the pandemic, inspired them to become GO owners. Tommy first caught wind of the lightweight camping trailer from his stepfather who had surfed the SylvanSport website and was impressed with the GO’s quality and craftsmanship.

“We love the uniqueness and the versatility. It has so much more to offer than a pop-up,” Tommy said. The two families decided to pool their resources and invest in one together.

“I just love the transformation of it,” Tommy said. “Even when it’s riding low in its stealth mode, people are wondering about it. When you get to your campsite people can’t help but watch you crank it up and pull out the sides, wondering the whole time what it is. I love the looks you get.”

Tommy’s family has owned their GO camping trailer for less than a year, but has already camped in Carlsbad and along the California coast. He appreciates how comfortably all four can fit in the space. Plus, when Tommy’s dad meets up with them, he sleeps in the additional space provided by the GOzeebo. “I have the GOzeebo, the Dine O Max camp kitchen. I have the whole set up,” Tommy said. “I love it!”

Sometimes securing a campsite along the coast can become competitive. But Tommy said the light weight and maneuverability of the GO made it possible for him to access locations that would have been more difficult for unwieldy RVs. “It’s so light sometimes I even forget I’m towing something. When I get to the campsite, I can maneuver it into smaller spaces. I can easily push it around by hand without have to back it in.”

The sea, once it casts it spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.

– Jacques Cousteau

“Surfing is my passion because I’m always eager to improve,” said Tommy. “It’s so hard in the beginning. I would remember trying to get out into the water with my brother and all his friends that were older than me. I would have a tough time. But you meet these milestones and that’s where your passion comes from. You get out of the water and say, ‘Wow, I learned how to do a dock side turn today.’ And then you can’t wait to get out there again.”

The waters Tommy has surfed while pursuing his passion have been as varied as the locations to which he has traveled. In Florida, Lake Atlantic, as Tommy likes to refer to the ocean, is calm, but during storm swells has produced some of the best waves of his life. The Pacific is consistent but cold, he’s exchanged a wetsuit for the board shorts of his youth. He stuck an incredible barrel in Costa Rica and navigated the urchins and a challenging paddle out in Barbados’ Soup Bowl to ride the big waves.

Tommy’s dream surf trip with both his family and the GO is to travel to Mexico, cruising down the coast to Baja, camping and surfing along the way. He plans to follow the coast up to Santa Cruz as well, maybe in time for the next summer season.

One bug Tommy secretly hopes his kids will catch is his passion for surfing. Dylan and Jett took their first surf lesson over the summer and are only now beginning to learn the basics. Tommy helps guide them into the waves but makes sure that they learn at a pace they are comfortable with. He believes the worst thing you can do is scare a learner off of the sport because you are pushing them too hard.

And as for himself? Does he see a difference between the way he surfs and the decisions he makes out on the water today compared to when he was a teenager?
“No. It’s cool because I’m 42 years old and I still like to think I’m getting better. I’ll still charge just has hard as I did when I was 18.”
Passions are never outgrown so long as you remain young at heart. GO with the flow.