Since surfing conditions along Cape Cod's shoreline tend to be inconsistent, some visitors conclude that surfing waves with a buddy at the Cape is as common as surfing waves with Santa Claus at the North Pole. But according to Dave Newell, manager of Nauset Sports in Orleans, folks in the past have never given surfing at the Cape a fair shot.

"People come here for two weeks in July and don't see a swell so they think there's no surf," says Newell, who has been cutting through waves on Cape Cod since 1966. "If we get a good ground swell from a storm reasonably off shore, waves can certainly be challenging." The Cape's vast shoreline provides surfers with the ultimate luxury - elbow room, a quality that over-crowded surfing spots in far away places such as Hawaii and Australia cannot boast. "Here is the beauty of Cape Cod," says Newell. "We have the National Seashore. That means we have 40 miles of open beach and countless beach breaks to go along with it. Uncrowded waves are mostly a thing of the past in Hawaii and California, but not here on Cape Cod."

The advent of the boogie board, a.k.a. "spongers", has introduced a lot of people to the idea of the wave ride, says Newell. "Water sports are the most important part of this store and surfing is the most important water sport." And if conditions are conducive for hitting the waves, surfers from Mashpee to Provincetown are waxing up their boards and spending a wet, salty day out on the Atlantic Ocean. Pete Flynn, a resident of Falmouth who has been surfing for about a year, cherishes the fact that he can pick up when he wants, take a short ride to the National Seashore and cut on some breakers for as long as the tides will allow. "It's a beautiful thing man," Flynn says. "You don't need anyone else to go with you. There's a little danger involved and a lot of exercise, too." Meanwhile, Matt Rivers, who has been surfing on Cape Cod since he was 5, is testament to the fact that surfing on the Cape is here to stay. "I was able to surf before I could swim," says Rivers, whose father was a lifeguard at Nauset Beach in the 1960s. "Some parents here put their kids in daycare, mine put me on a surfboard." So despite what you read or hear, it's not necessary to fly half way across the world to surf. About 40 miles of Cape Cod's eastern shoreline are inviting surfers of all ages and skill levels. Just hop in the car, wax your board, scout out the "sets", paddle hard and ride the waves. "Once you have your board, you're set," says Rivers. "No lines. No lift tickets. No worries. Just go to the beach and surf."

Off duty Lifeguards rescue two surfers at Wellfleet