01 / 03A life shaped by surf
DROP IN.
Start with the wave. Stay for the stories it carried home.
Now booking
Invite P. L. McBride to Speak
Peter loves talking with groups about growing up, resilience, and what surfing teaches us about handling the unexpected. Every talk is personal, interactive, and built around real stories. Signed copies of both books are available at events.
The Dropping In series
True stories. Hard-won lessons. Plenty of humor.
True stories for young adults and the adults beside them, connecting the everyday challenges of growing up with lessons learned in the surf. Signed copies are available at events.
Book one · 2021
Dropping In on the Waves of Life
A collection of first-person stories about friendship, first love, bullies, heartbreak, family, and finding the person you can trust before difficult moments arrive.
The newest book · 2026
Dropping In on the Waves of Life: Something’s Brewin’!
More stories where surfing meets real life: from losing face and academic failure to compassion, acceptance, and a final paddle-out that keeps getting bigger.
Local readers and authors
Proudly part of the North County book community.
Peter is glad to support independent bookstores and the local organizations that bring readers and authors together. Carlsbad Village Books is North County’s newest independent bookstore, with space for author events right in the heart of the Village.
Follow along.
Behind-the-scenes moments, upcoming appearances, and stories from the water. Follow @author.plmcbride on Instagram.
Follow on Instagram ↗︎Meet the author
A life spent teaching, and listening.
Peter McBride, M.A. in Education, has spent more than three decades helping people find their footing through education, storytelling, music, and service.
He taught across Los Angeles and San Diego counties, developed music and play programs for young learners, trained educators, and spoke for the University of Phoenix. From 2012 to 2018, he presented Red Cross resources to Navy and Marine personnel and their families before deployment.
His voice can now be heard in exhibits for the California Surf Museum and Oceanside Museum of Art, as well as in the audiobook editions of his own work. He is also a musician, lifelong surfer, husband, father, and coproducer with Stacie Hunt Experiential.
Listen
Stories, exhibits, and ideas, all in Peter’s own voice.
Selected audiobook and voiceover samples from Peter’s working portfolio.
Something’s Brewin’! Preface
Audiobook sampleChapter 3: Smokey
Audiobook sampleStars, Cars and Guitars
California Surf Museum exhibitWomen Fighting Hunger
Voiceover sampleWhat readers say
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.9 out of 5 · 33 Amazon ratings ↗︎“A very readable set of surfing experiences that serve as life lessons for young readers…a surf version of Aesop’s Fables.”
Jim Kempton · California Surf Museum“As an educator I found this book to be somewhat of a life-lesson journal that resonates with the work I do each day.”
Buffy Lee · Verified Amazon review“I felt as though I was having a conversation with the author…showing complete vulnerability with every word.”
Sarah Anzalone · Verified Amazon review“I recommend the book highly not only for every parent, but for anyone who is looking for an understanding hand in life. McBride is a master teacher.”
Debbie Stern · Verified Amazon review“Peter McBride does an excellent job of teaching without being preachy. He clearly cares about young people.”
Amy Wrench · Verified Amazon review“McBride excels in storytelling…a very good resource for teachers, counselors, and parents.”
Nina S. · Verified Amazon review
Speaking · Voiceover · Events
Bring Peter to your library, school, or club.
P. L. McBride, also known as Peter McBride: author, educator, Navy veteran, museum voice artist, and lifelong San Diego surfer. He is available for author events, educational programs, interviews, and select voiceover projects.
Request a Speaking Dateplmcbride.author@gmail.com
Today’s surf · Oceanside, CA
Check the waves before you drop in.
Live data from Open-Meteo for the Oceanside Pier lineup (33.19°N, 117.39°W).
Full report on Surfline ↗