June 7, 2005 Surfin' Safari Surf's up, dude! Put the mouse down. We're talking waves, not Web pages. Beat the crowds this summer by beating a path south of the border. When you go, take along a copy of The Surfer's Guide to Baja. With its folksy print format (8½" X 11" sheets bound in kraft paper), it's like your more experienced surf buddy wrote up all his best tips and shot them out his printer just for you. Surf writer (and rider) Mike Parise knows his gnarlatious swells and is willing to tell you where to find them — to a point. Note the disclaimer right in the intro, "No secret spots are revealed in these pages." Hey look, a surfer's got to maintain his cred. But you can learn where to put yourself in the barrel of a big wave, and where you're more likely to ride reef than shoot the curl. Plus, there's a load of useful out-of-water info — like what to pack, where to stay along the way, and the ever famous, "Don't drink the water." Kowabunga! The Surfer's Guide to Baja is available at Happy Six at 2115 Sawtelle Blvd., or online at SurfingTravel.com for $17.90 plus shipping.