Surfing & Vet Calls — Adventures With Dr. Gary Amaral
- Guest
- Aug 4
- 2 min read
I met Dr. Gary Amaral, a large-animal veterinarian, after he came to Bonita to treat one of our horses suffering from colic. As often happens among surfers, the conversation eventually drifted toward waves.
Before long, we'd meet before sunrise on weekends, checking tide charts and swell reports before heading out in search of surf. After our sessions, we'd often drive straight to veterinary calls—colic cases, injuries, emergencies, whatever the day happened to bring.
One morning after surfing the Del Mar Pump House, we stopped at the polo fields for an artificial insemination procedure. Gary handed me a halter and casually said, "Go get the pony."
I walked into the corral, called to the horse, and waited. Gary laughed. "You actually have to go catch him," he said. "They're not like your horses."
On one Slough mission, Gary let me borrow his famous Electric Duck—an eleven-foot-long, wide, thick, triple-stringer board built specifically for surfing the Sloughs. That board completely changed the experience. Suddenly I was catching waves that would have been impossible on my regular board.
Sometimes, while sitting outside waiting for the next set, I'd tell Gary, "Keep paddling... I can still see the surface bubbles from the last wave." Beneath us, you could actually hear the submerged cobblestones shifting as each new swell approached—a deep grinding sound transmitted through the water. It was subtle. And unforgettable.
I even managed to surf the Sloughs during a rare summer south swell. After surfing Descanso Street with friends, I paddled back out at low tide and rode the north edge of the reef all the way toward Boca Rios.
It wasn't a giant day. 3 Just one of those rare moments when everything lined up perfectly.
Written by Darrell Jett | July 27, 2026 | Bonita resident
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