Catching Waves with Poly Escapes

About Campus

Catching Waves with
Poly Escapes

Cal Poly’s student-run adventure series gives Mustangs an accessible entry point into the great outdoors.

By Larry Peña
Photos by Joe Johnston and Aidan Dillon

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Graphic communication student Clara Jeschka paddles out into the surf with ASI Poly Escapes.

On a brisk, sunny morning in March, a group of students are learning how to paddle surfboards on the sand at Pismo Beach, 15 minutes from Cal Poly.

“You’re gonna push more water with your fingers held together like cups, instead of spread out wide,” calls out fourth-year biology major Sophia Brooks, who is teaching the lesson. “Now, long strokes with your arms, deep down in the water!”

After some practice popping up to a standing position — chests and shoulders lifted like a cobra, then a quick hop to plant the feet — the students change into wet suits and bright orange jerseys and head out into water. For several in the group, it’s their very first time on a surfboard.

The event is part of Poly Escapes, a series of excursions hosted by Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), designed to give Mustangs an opportunity to get off campus and experience the natural beauty of the Central Coast. The program, funded in part by student campus fees, is aimed at eliminating barriers to entry for students seeking their first outdoor adventure experiences.

“On a large college campus, sometimes it’s hard to find people who want to build community in the same way that you do,” says Brooks, a former competitive surfer who works as a Poly Escapes trip leader. “It’s a really easy way to find friends and find the outdoors in a cool, supportive environment.”

In addition to regular surf trips around the Central Coast, Poly Escapes leads a quarterly camping trip — often to nearby Pinnacles National Park — hosts fishing trips at local rivers and lakes, and manages a campus climbing park where students can practice bouldering and belay climbing.

For many students, taking a first foray into outdoor activities like surfing and camping can be intimidating. “A lot of people want to try surfing and are interested in getting in the water, but they don’t have experience — maybe they haven’t even been around the ocean,” says Mara Niesyt, a teaching credential graduate student and trip co-leader. “I think that it’s really valuable to have these kinds of trips to give them a little bit of confidence and safety as they try something new.”

A group of students practice their surf stance as Sophia Brooks (in hat) gives instruction.

While the outdoors may be free, the gear required to safely participate in many popular activities is certainly not. Poly Escapes maintains a supply of surfboards, kayaks, paddleboards, camping equipment, climbing gear and more — all included on excursions or available to rent á la carte at the Poly Escapes Rental Center for students who want to plan their own adventures.

“If you’re wanting to get into a specific activity like climbing or camping, it can oftentimes be so expensive to purchase a backpack, tents, climbing shoes, harness, rope, et cetera — sometimes hundreds and hundreds of dollars,” says former Poly Escapes coordinator Sarah Sindel. “So we take on the element of not only purchasing that equipment but then also inspecting and ensuring that it’s up to safety standards, which is a whole other barrier. Between renting the gear and providing the expertise, we’re able to give students truly the lowest rate in town.”

Out in the water, Brooks, Niesyt and their fellow trip leader, third-year civil engineering major Ryan Checchi, take turns giving instruction and helping push the new surfers into easy waves.

Not everyone catches a great ride, but by the time they begin trickling back up onto the beach for sandwiches an hour or so later, everyone is grinning.

First photo: A student gets an assist on her first wave of the day. Second photo: Trip leader Ryan Cecchi comes in for lunch.

“The first time I caught a wave, I didn’t get up — but I could feel it carrying me, and that made me want to just keep trying again,” says Sophia Wimmer, a graphic communication student on an exchange program from Munich, Germany.

“That was really cool,” she says, smiling from ear to ear.

For many Cal Poly students, a Poly Escapes trip is an accessible first step into a world of exciting outdoor activities and the sense of community they provide.

“We gather a lot of student feedback from these trips,” says Sindel. “They say it helped them relax in the middle of the school quarter, it provided insight about what they wanted to do after graduation, it helped them make new friends, and it helped them realize how valuable it is to step outside their comfort zones and try new things.”