Unexplored California?

I grew up out in Santa Barbara, everything is gravy with the exception of many LA spots. If you want some "me" time out west, north of San Francisco is probably your best bet.

 

born and raised SD and traveled the California and Baja coasts extensively. You can still find solitude in between Mex and Oregon....just stay away from the "name" spots. There's a lot of good beachbreaks and decent reefs that aren't all that crowded. Meatloaf's right though....the further north you go, the less crowded it gets. "Whitey" might have something to do with that. The water's no colder than a mild DelMarVa winter, doesn't usually get below 45 degrees.

 

get a boat and go to Hollister Ranch. hike down some scary cliffs in Del Mar or at Torrey Pines.

 

dont even paddle out at the jetties or piers in socal. dudes r dooshed out

 

dude wat



.,

 

I've been out to socal twice and didn't have any problem, well a little bit when I tried to surf malibu, but even that was ok in the end. I was mostly at Dana Point/Doheny (yup I got totally sick from the polluted water but the place is fun), San Onofre, which was pretty crowded, even at 7am, but still fun with a little patience, and Carrdiff. I went as early as I could and didn't have much of a problem with crowds. And no aggro-vibes. Though I guess I was a pretty mellow logging spots.

 

You being a New Englander and all, NorCal thru Oregon would be a solid bet. Almost anywhere in Cali is great and less crowded during the winter when the kooks are in school or at work or to against the cold. Named breaks are to be avoided except during less crowded conditions. If its crowded, why surf it. Its like the North Shore in Hawaii, why worry about pipe when you can beat the crowd to Chun's and then catch Pinballs before it gets crowded. Oh wait, pinballs rarely gets crowded. If you like long boarding, Washington state is awesome. Canada is sick. Anywhere around LA sucks for locals, though I was in Huntington and the pier was crazy, but at the state park where I camped for twenty dollars beach side was chill as, because it was off season, and the breaks on both sides of the park were crowded as F, but the three peaks inside, barely had anyone.

Thus said, get out and go drive and go do it. New England ain't going anywhere.

 

I went to beacons last August, it was a solid head high but everyone was a jerk. They ignored me and laughed then swam away.

 

that's what i am sayin

 

there are nice points in WA, but you'll have to find them for yourself. The internet has ruined it for the locals there, and they are pissed. Surfing with the occasional Killer Whale makes things interesting, too.

Honestly, California (NOT "Cali") still has some uncrowded surf from Baja to Oregon. But if you want to surf places like Blacks and Trestles and Malibu and Rincon and Steamers and The Hook and etc etc etc, be prepared for a kookfest with 100-200 other interlopers. That's why I said to stay away from the "name" spots.

But if you want a little taste of California without all the BS, pick a town and get in your car and start exploring.

 

the little purse

sounds like my break. reality check includes weather report. it has been 100+ degrees inland the last few weeks, so no surprise, the beach is crowded with all kinds of poor saps escaping the heat, especially on weekends. however, school has started. thus, my monday session was me and 20 old dudes. timing is everything. colder weather (below 70 out here) and school season on weekdays you should be ok. weekends during summer.. yer wastin yer time. have fun.

 

I surfed around Tomales Bay a few weeks back. The locals didn't eat me so I would have to say it was chill. It was chill, but warm for a New England fall or winter. (click on pic)

 

Snookies Baby

Dudes, I've surfed all over Santa Barbara. Some swells. its crowded, some swells, its not. Again, avoid the crowd by surfing off camber spots that don't have 5 million peeps on them... Just got done a night session in Va Beach, no kooks, no crowds, no worries...Small but snookie free.

 

Go to NorCal and explore. Between November and February the waves are quality at least 6 days out of 10. SoCal is chock full of self-involved kooks who think the world revolves around them. Honestly, a lot of the locals are ****s who have no clue what it's like to be a wave-starved east coaster. I am not saying "don't go", but fair warning. Of course there are lots of cool people as well, but from my experience the split is 50/50 or worse at most breaks from LA and south. I lived up North for a year (won't be naming any spots on this thread) and surfed alone all the time. It just takes a little effort and some nerves to not get spooked by the masses of sea life all around you. Honestly, there were days when I sat in the lineup hoping somebody would paddle out just to kill the loneliness.

 

I lived in north County SD for a while and you can score a few spots with just a few homies out. I lived just off the beach in Leucadia close to Carlsbad.. Stone Steps and Grandview(In Leucadia at the end of a local neighborhood) are good sandbars and spread out. I surfed the southside of Cardiff reef often, relatively Donkey free. Delmar and Torrey Pines as mentioned earlier can have very few people in the lineup. Cali surfers are lazy and frequent the bigger named spots. Search and Ye shall find...

 

It would be you, the ocean, and a few dozen hungry great whites. I'd take my chances with the crowd