You learn a lot more about an area being there and crawling around every little option on the coast than you do sitting on Google Earth at home," says Ian Walsh, in summarizing the latest installment of "Peaking," a series that follows surfers as they prepare for the big-wave season. It's an update on the old traveler's adage that "getting there is half the fun," and in this day and age of modern surf exploration, it's a reminder that nothing beats time on the ground (or in the water).