Dawn patrol: the case for getting up

the surf desk

Dawn patrol: the case for getting up

Marco Torres · Jul 18, 2026 · 5 min read

The alarm says 5:00 and your brain says no. Here's why the surfers who go anyway never regret it.

The wind sleeps in

Dawn is the calmest part of the day. Before the land heats up, the wind hasn't started — which means glass, or close to it.

The crowd sleeps in

For one hour you get the lineup to yourself. Not because you're special, but because you got up. That's the whole secret.