Swells never seem to stick around as long as we'd like.

No matter how long they run, regardless of how much you've surfed, it's never enough. When it's flat, on the other hand, days seem to drag into weeks of waiting, hoping, praying for surf - something, anything rideable.

In San Diego, we're plagued more by the latter than the former, so surfers are constantly forced to find creative solutions to keep their minds off surfing during flat spells, because, let's face it, there's only so much Stand Up Paddling one person can take. In Del Mar, a group of surfers is keeping busy by honing their skills as watermen: Stand Up Paddling, diving the kelp beds, building replica kook boxes, riding Alaias and racing paddleboards. But the pièce de résistance is a six-man outrigger. We stopped in at Rusty Del Mar, to talk with owner Zach Groban about why he and his friends felt the urge to buy a 44' canoe.

What made you buy an outrigger?
A few years ago my friends and I started with 12' hybrid paddle/surf boards. We saw a guy doing stand up and got interested in that, and then moved on to making our own kook boxes and Alaia boards. We had a friend who was in a local outrigger club and loved it. But, it was down south in mission bay and nobody wanted to drive that far and only paddle in the bay. We thought it would be great training for when there is no surf and it was something new.

Who gets to use it? And how often do you actually put it in the water to use it?
The reason for the outrigger was to start a canoe club in Del Mar that would promote community involvement. The Del Mar Lifeguards do wonderful work with two groups: Wounded Warriors and The Challenged Athlete Foundation. They've been coming down to the beach to try and get back in the water after an injury or other physical challenges. During the winter it gets used two to three times a week. During the summer it's used constantly. It's often brought out in the early morning and left at anchor for people to swim out to and use during the day.

If you don't mind me asking, what's something like that cost?
They cost around $10,000 new. We were lucky enough to get that covered by a local organization called the The Friends of The Power House. There is another $3,000 to $5,000 in costs for paddles and covers that were paid for by Rusty Surfboards Del Mar, Quiksilver Performance and the Del Mar Lifeguard Association.

That's a little steep. So how much do used outriggers cost?
They're really hard to find. The best way to find one would be to contact an outrigger club and see if they're selling one.

How much do individual paddles cost?
Around $150 for a wood paddle all the way up to $350 for an all carbon paddle.

Can you use a stand up paddle if you don't want to spring for an outrigger paddle?
No way, they are way too long.

What if someone can't rally five friends every time they want to take the outrigger out for a paddle? Are there smaller outriggers that don't require a six-man team?
There are one man, two men, three man, and four man surfing canoes.

How long is the six-man outrigger ? How big are the one- and two-man canoes?
The six-man is 44 feet, the one-man is 20 feet and the two-man outrigger is 25 feet.

Does it have to be completely flat to take it out? How many guys do you need to man it?
It's a six-person canoe and works best with six in it. It doesn't have to be completely flat, but if there's surf, everyone would rather be surfing than in the outrigger.

What's the biggest it's been when you guys have taken it out?
Head high.

When you do take it out, what's the typical workout like? Do you find it's a good cross-training exercise to compliment surfing?
During the winter we try and get it out twice during the week and one weekend day. Our workouts last for an hour and a half to two hours. We like to change it up, depending on what the ocean is doing. We either head straight out and try and ride swells back or head up the coast. We do different drills to work on our timing and technique. But, we always seem to grab a wave at some point. It's the best total body workout I've ever done. It works your legs, core, shoulders, and back. It's great cross-training.

To someone who's never been in an outrigger canoe, what's the hardest thing to get used to?
The outrigger is not as stable as it looks, steering is hard, and switching paddling sides in sync is really tough.

What's the best piece of advice you'd give to someone who's thinking of buying an outrigger?
Have 44' of space to keep it in, always facing the ocean. If you plan to move it find a friend with an 18-wheeler.

Why should the space you store it in always be facing the ocean?
Following ancient Hawaiian tradition, when canoes were used to repel attacks and used in battle they kept the canoes on the beach pointing out to sea. There is a lot of Hawaiian tradition surrounding outriggers.

It sits right in front of the main tower in Del Mar. Do you get a lot of questions about it from tourists or passers-by?
Mostly people ask how they join the club and people who paddle are shocked to see it on the beach.