Looking to do a surf trip to California, anyone familiar?
trying to book a surf trip for january to california but not sure what spots are best for the time of year. anyone familiar?
update: since im attempting a trip in mid jan, decided on socal, san diego thru long beach. not sure if i wanna grab a hotel in oceanside which is kind of in the middle of it all and rent a car or attempt to do one of the camper rentals like jucyusa.com escapecampervans.com or vwsufari.com . planning on going mlk weekend, 17-22. thanks to everyone for the ideas and help! planning on bringing my normal shortboard and my groveler
SoCal would be fun. NorCal is a bit chilly.
I like the San Diego area from Blacks up to Trestles (OC). There are also some breaks in LA if the swell is hitting there and its still a day trip. Encinitas is a nice surf spot and in the center of these areas (Cardiff Reef, Beacons, Swamis if you longboard).
Do you have Surfline? Best bet would be to monitor the forecast on there a week before you go and just gravitate towards the swell.
word thanks! thats what im kind of thinking actually, flying to san diego and hitting it up down there, i saw some decent hotels in la jolla, ever stay over there/surf? i did some looking around on surfline and noticed blacks was a popular one, trestles obviously, gunna have to look up cardiff and beacons. for the sake of easier travel think im gunna just gunna bring my shortboard. i know its ripping over there right now, but any ideas if it is pretty consistent in general this time of year? im trying to book it ahead of time but also afraid of doing so and then it turns out to be flat..
Yeah it is relatively consistent. More so than the east coast I would say. You never know though. It very well could be waist high - that would suck. But, yeah it is decent there now - 4-6ft (fair).
Have you already booked your ticket? If you had a specified time that you're taking off you still might be able to fly down to Mexico or Central America which would only be a little bit farther in the plane and cheaper to stay. I'd recommend Sayulita if you can pull it, an hour north of the airport Puerto Vallarta. Very cool little town.
La Jolla is a really nice area. That's where Black's is. I've surfed there. Blacks is fun and can hold big swells. The walk down to the shore barefoot on the little pebbles sucks though. You might be wearing booties though and it should be better. Its also a nude beach, but probably not too many hot naked chicks around in the winter.
So you do have surfline? They have forecasts now up to 1/5. Not sure when you're thinking of going... I honestly don't like to fly for a surf trip to a place until I see the swell on the radar. I've flown from NYC - Sumbawa (Lakey Peak - Indo) on a moments notice when my friend was there and said it was going to be double to triple overhead +. The feeling of traveling so far at times for mediocre waves just doesn't do it for me. I'm really picky though.
la jolla is beautiful. But like "@Isaiah_53_5" said, there are many spots in SD that are awesome. Beacons and cardiff are awesome. If you head way north to Ventura or Santa Barbara, those are also really great
Surf in San Diego sucks. Don't bother making a trip here. If you have to just stick to surfing OB. The locals are super friendly.
really?!
High-surf warnings issued as Pacific swell brings big waves to California coast https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-high-surf-warning-californ…
DEC 17, 2018 | 6:20 PM
sickkkk
yeah its been insane the past few days over there! check out mavericks:
https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/one-unpredictable-day-mavericks/41450
hollyyyy fackkkk
![https://d14fqx6aetz9ka.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/180828…]
I want to get towed in by a drone there when drone prices aren't $18K (Alta 8) with a battery life of only 15min ...
[https://d14fqx6aetz9ka.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/180828… https://d14fqx6aetz9ka.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/180828…
There's a reason why Huntington Beach is called Surf City USA and I can't believe no one has mentioned Huntington yet. There is no better place for surfing, at least not in SoCal. Thank me later.
i feel like it would be crazy there being its "surf city" and all. ?
not really. I live about 15mins from Huntington and it never seems super packed whenever I go.
Huntington isn't crowded because its a beach break so there is a couple of miles of surf. You can go north or south of the pier - and then ~1-2 miles in either direction.
I agree with Huntington Beach, always a consistent spot. I enjoy Newport as well, they have great break there. Check out the wedge if you're down there, shore break is insane. Its always a good time to watch the brave tackle the waves. Too intense for me.
word thanks dude! kind of praying for the wedge to rip on my trip! i wanna see it, maybe attempt to boogieboard but same def wont surf it if its big,
TIP: do not say cali or cal, you'll come off as if you've never been west of the mississippi
both Biggie Smalls and I would disagree with you
Biggie is a East Coast hoe tho...
pretty cool
Surfing the 100ft swell at Nazare | 60 Minutes Australia
Yeah I have seen that! Nazare has been pumping a few times the past few weeks too. Wild shit. Someone recently got caught like 4 waves and the jet ski guy flipped. Insane. So I think I’m gunna go ahead and just book a flight for MLK for SAN and start in la jolla/pacific beach and work my way up to Newport area. God forbid waves truly do suck ill chill on the beach n make the most of it. You ever do one of these camper rentals? https://www.jucyusa.com https://www.vwsurfari.com/ https://www.escapecampervans.com
But not sure if it would be warm enough for one of those? Any thoughts?
Merry Xmas by the way dude
I second the recommendation for anywhere mid-San Diego to South OC (e.g. Blacks up to Trestles).
If you are looking for a mellower spot, I always really liked Grandview Beach in the Encinitas area (North County San Diego). Good surf and a great beach. I also just love the general vibe in North County.
Winter is a good time to surf generally in SoCal. Just bring your wetsuit :)
Yeah I lived in North County for a year. It was awesome.
Also, if you hit up Grandview or Beacons, there is a really good taco/burrito shop called Juanitas a couple miles south of there in Encinitas on the 101. Great place to hit up after some waves. Its just a shack, but I love the carne asada burritos from there. That place has been pumping out solid burritos for decades - just like I remember when I was younger (I first tried Juanitas in 2000). I was in the area last year and had to stop by and grab a burrito. Amazing.
This chick really likes the place:
![https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ub9_P0j9hho/WsBEpZI0CaI/AAAAAAACDds/yL_AB-Sb…] [https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ub9_P0j9hho/WsBEpZI0CaI/AAAAAAACDds/yL_AB-Sb… https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ub9_P0j9hho/WsBEpZI0CaI/AAAAAAACDds/yL_AB-Sb…
"I have been eating at Juanitas Taco Shop for over 30 years. This is hands down my favorite Taco Stand in America. I try every Taco Shop I can find in every city that we visit and to date, nobody can beat Juanitas on flavor, portions or price. Consistently delicious and the place I visit first whenever we are back in San Diego. This visit was typical with us visiting Juanitas the first full day of our visit. As usual I went for the Three Rolled Tacos with Guacamole ($3.90) and my Wife went for the Carne Asada Burrito ($6.30). The Rolled Tacos are the best especially when topped with Juanitas Hot Sauce. I have eaten a million Carne Asada Burritos and Juanitas has the best. Great flavored Beef, Guacamole and Pico de Gallo and thats it. Simple and ohh so delicious. The tortilla's freshness, flavor and texture really help to make this our favorite Burrito. After reading a review posted on the wall that praised the Fish Taco, I ordered one to try ($2.95). Probably one of the best Fish Tacos I have eaten but quite surprised that they used Lettuce rather than Cabbage. Would have preferred Cabbage but this was a good taco none the less. Juanitas is a gem and a place I recommend to everyone visiting North San Diego County. For the price you will not find any better Mexican food anywhere."
https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2018/03/juanitas-taco-shop.html
Much appreciated! Yeah planning on bringin my 4/3 and booties just in case (however I usually don’t wear those unless it’s sub 50 temp). Think I’m gunna fly into SAN and spent 5 days running around spots from pacific beach/la jolla thru Newport. I will put those on the list! I’m goofy so I do prefer a left but just praying for some decent size and rides and I’ll be happy. Been pretty quiet over here wit NYC surf, conditions have been poor when we’ve had some.
I'm from Southern California (OC) originally, so here is my two cents: First, make sure you got at least a 3/2 Wetsuit at this time of year since the water down here is around 62-63 degrees. I'd bring a 4/3 too if you are planning on hitting beaches in NorCal. As far as spots go, from south to north: 1. San Onofre State (Old Man's Beach)- Super fun place for beach-camping. It's pretty sick out there for dawn patrol especially since you are able to see the power plant right on the beach. 2. Trestles- One of the most popular spots in SoCal. My personal preference is Upper Trestles. 3. T-Street/San Clemente Pier- Decent breaks. San Clemente locals can be kind of a pain sometimes. 4. Doho (Doheny State)- Very popular spot. Place where everyone initially learns how to surf since the waves hardly get over a couple feet and you still get a long ride. Normally packed with foamies and other longboards. Water quality is kind of shitty though. 5. Strands Point/Salt Creek- Two pretty popular OC spots. Salt Creek is definitely a must, with a coupe surf comps usually held there during the year. Super mellow vibe. 6. Laguna- You're not going to be able to surf in Laguna unless you really know what you're doing or you have a beater. It's all shorebreak, so it makes for some awesome bodysurfing. Definitely hit Laguna for the scenery at the very least. 7. Newport (Newport Jetties/Blackies/56th Street/Wedge/Little Corona)- Newport is awesome and has spots for every level of experience. The Wedge is a mecca for bodysurfing. Super gnarly on a big day. 8. Huntington Beach- Surf City USA Hope this helps! yeeeeeew
Much appreciated! Yeah planning on bringin my 4/3 and booties just in case (however I usually don't wear those unless it's sub 50 temp). Think I'm gunna fly into SAN and spent 5 days running around spots from pacific beach/la jolla thru Newport. I will put those on the list! Def want to get to trestles and praying for the wedge to come alive. Any thoughts on rental vans ? Such as :
https://www.jucyusa.com https://www.escapecampervans.com https://www.vwsurfari.com/
Not sure if the campgrounds are prett easy when doing this / state parks/ driving around SoCal? Let alone if it’s warm enough in January?
Thanks!
^^^ This
Seems like you've already gotten a good deal of advice and have already decided. Just to be a contrarian I'm gunna throw Santa Cruz into the mix. Huge variety of waves, including multiple world class point breaks. Premier spots such as Steamer Lane and Pleasure Point are usually crowded, but no more than socal. Plus you can drive out of town, north on highway 1, and score some equally desireable spots that the locals are too lazy to check and get flawless waves with minimal crowds/all to yourself. Some beautiful scenery in the area as well including remote coastline and redwoods. Plus SF/Napa/Monterey are a day trip away. OB in SF can also be world class beach break on the right day. You'd likely score too, as the whole region was firing the past 3 or so years on MLK day.
flying to san fran next week for what looks like a mid month storm approaching, will check out OB and was thinking a day trip to santa cruz. any experience at pacifica or rockaway beach? i noticed some cheap airbnbs over there
3/6/2019 update: heading to san francisco next week for what looks like a big swell, any thoughts on spots up north much appreciated, thinking Ocean Beach, potential day trip to Santa Cruz, maybe pacifica / rockaway? thanks!
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