West Coast Surf Spots

don't know if it will help, but try posting on the west coast forum

 

Your best bet. . .

. . .would be planning to stay as close to Trestles for as long as possible. Always a quality wave, even when crowded. Oh yeah, be sure to avoid Huntington Beach, unless you like the scene. Santa Cruz has a couple of good spots, but it's a long drive from So. Cal.

If you're into sight seeing, definitely do the Big Sur road- at least once in your lifetime. Mavs can be a bit heavy, not to mention cold. San Francisco, is, well, San Francisco. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there, unless you really like street people.

 

Fort Point at the Presidio is a fun left point.

 

Steamer Lane is the classic Santa Cruz break (actually 3 different breaks if I'm not mistaken). Check out youtube for some clips. Very nice.

 

Definitely Steamers! When you go there let them know you are from the Eastside.

 

west coast surf

I actually travel to Cali quite often albeit Southern Cal, just got back from Diego last night in fact....last year I traveled from LA to Santa Cruz so you'll have to do your research from Santa Cruz to San Fran...but I would recommend hitting County Line just north of Malibu, that was a fun little break with some rocks just off the 101 across from Neptune's Restaurant. North of there you'll be in Oxnard where you can surf Silver Strand which is a fun peaky beach break (yea it can be pretty local there so be polite and don't snake anyone there). As you travel farther North into Ventura you will have to hit C street, it's a right point break that needs a decent swell to work but the wave goes on and on, this is cobblestone/rock bottom. From there I went north on the 101 and stopped in Santa Barbara (Carpenteria) and surfed Rincon...you definitely need to surf here, probably one of the best points in Cali (there are other breaks too, just do some searching, I only hit Rincon). From Santa Barbara, I ended up stopping at Pismo Pier which is just a beach break, nothing great but it does barrel on a decent swell here. Farther north up the 101 in San Luis Obispo just south of Paso Robles there is a consistent break that is very picturesque called Morro Bay. It's about 15-20 minutes west of the 101 down a windy beautiful road lined with avocado trees and farms. At the end of the road is a power plant which is basically where you'll park on the North side of a huge rock in the bay. From there i traveled to Santa Cruz which is the craziest windy road I've ever been on, be careful people drive crazy on this road...but definitely hit Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz which has 3 distinctive peaks, just watch how people get in and out before paddling out. Some other good breaks are South of Steamer in Pleasure Point like spots such as "the hook" (41st street?) and other spots between. It can be pretty local there so be smart. Anyways hope this helps man, enjoy your trip.

 

I'm from Cali....I could go on all day about spots.....just check out wannasurf.com....you will find a lot of breaks on there....not all of them......but a good amount.


~lates

 

You gotta hit up Santa Cruz, and Fort Point is a world class wave experience, but crowded and kinda localized.

Take Highway 1 as much as you can. Then you can just stop when it looks good.

 

This is one spot that you cannot miss. Rincon Point in Santa Barbara will be the highlight of your trip. Make sure if your on a shortboard to hit the top of the point passed the rivermouth. You'll know if it's good when your dodging longboarder's about 150 yards down the line, and if it's real good you won't know until you wash up on the highway.

 

They're out there and plenty of people see 'em, but just don't go tie a bunch of fresh tuna to your leash and flop around like wounded seal and you'll be good. Just keep a sharp eye out and you should be fine. And if you're feeling sketched out, paddle in a bit.

 

I would say slam8llc said it pretty well. I grew up in Huntington, and was in a contest in C Street in Ventura a couple months ago. You should go ahead and check Malibu, and Rincon, just for the shear historical value in my opinion. Rincon is Curren's historical home also.
Steamers is good when it's on, but trying to surf it on the weekend could get you hurt. I have never in my life seen such a huge crowd!!! To get a normal wave, you will have to drop in on someone, and you will get dropped in on several times if you make the wave on the weekends. This is personal experience. If your in decent shape, try Ocean Beach in San Fran. Gets big, and consistant. Hard to get out, and a current from water going into, and out of the bay. You should also check Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge. I haven't surfed it, but plan on it, what a trip.
As for sharks, yes, your in the "Red Triangle." White shark breeding grounds. You have to say screw it and go out. just don't go out alone, and river mouths would be the most dangerous areas. But there are very few attacks per number of people surfing.
Hope this helps.

 

When I surfed fort point, some locals told me that i had a better chance of being killed by someone jumping off the bridge to commit suicide than a white shark.

 

Your probably right Pumper, Ft. Point is inside the Bay a bit. If someone surfs the ocean, creeks like Waddels, and others, I won't mention for fear of serious bodily injury risk from the locals, are more dangerous than surfing a regular reef or beach break without a rivermouth. Sharks hang out in the rivermouths in northern Cali. because they know the salmon, and other fish swim there, and dead stuff flows out of the creeks after storms.

 

And they'll know he's a LIAR in the first two minutes... Steamer's is a VERY LOCALIZED, CROWDED SPOT, so don't expect to just climb down the cliff annd catch any wave you want...
While in the Santa Cruz area, try Capitola, Manresa, maybe Pleasure Point (although it gets very crowded as well). Heck, look at Cowell's Beach as well...

 

The last time I was out there in Santa Cruz, I had an AMAZING session at Manresa, probably caught the longest left of my life...
I recently read an article in The Surfer's Path about great whites. There was an incident at Manresa Beach. Apparently, on a crowded weekend, a seal pup was trying to get away from a whitey, doing a mad dash for the beach, when the shark jumped COMPLETELY out of the water and bit the pup in half!! Can you imagine witnessing this on the beach???