10 best surf towns in the U.S.

SURF
TOWN

what good is the surf, if the average surfer can't afford to live within 30 minutes of the waves. For example, La Jolla has a bunch of great breaks and the vibe in the water is just peachy but 99.9% of us couldn't live, work, and surf there because of income and standard of living issues. So the surf is there just not the town part, IMO.

I would put some spots in Rhode Island in the same category as an east coast example. Probably the best concentration of quality waves on the east coast, the people in the water are cool as far as i can tell based on a couple trips, but cost of living issues are crushing.

 

To add to these socal comments, being tha Im from OC MD and live in SD now.

SoCal is BY FAR a more aggrivated community. But its different out here.

The guys back east are very territorial, but not only when its good out. Guys in OC just get pissed off if you show up on any given day.

Guys in Socal get more waves, so they are more greedy. All the **** that gets started in the water is based on stealing waves. I am treated like a local here now, and they guys I surf with and made friends with are just ****s in the water.

If you are from the east coast and go to the ocean beach pier, my home break for instance. Even if you sit on the shoulder and let all the locals get the sets, they still paddle right back around you and get into position. You can work your way right up against the pillars on the pier to get position, and when the set comes, any one of 10 locals will litterally paddle over shoulder to shoulder with you and take your wave.

We all think we are better than the next guy and we feel like since we can do a better job on the wave, I feel like I should take it. Its a lame way to operate. It makes EVERYDAY in the water a constant battle. And when its big on the cliffs in the winter or something, forget about it, YOU AINT GETTING A SET WAVE, PERIOD, unless you are local. Its ridiculous.

People in Socal enter the water and lose all respect and sense of decency. Seriously.

And for the most part, its cause people are generally peaceful out here and have big mouths. Back in OC MD, if you are in the water next to me and start talking **** to me, I would expect to exit the water and have a physical confrontation on the beach, so back in OC, I watch my mouth and show a little more respect. People in Socal think that they will not get punched in the face. They will say some pretty crazy stuff to you, but they WILL NOT, and I MEAN WILL NOT get out of the water and do sh** about it. They are soft. Not all of them, but 98% of them are.

I have had to personally attempted to take sh** to the sand in La Jolla and in PB before, and these fake little bratts turn into deer in headlights. What? Your Crazy Man? Im not trying to fight over this. I will call the cops. Fu**in chumps....

So, my point is, people back east can be more aggrivated in general. You get in more bar fights back home. People shoot each other more. More road rage. Maybe its lack of surf, but not everyone is a surfer and a whole lotta them walk the earth PISSED OFF!

 

im from NJ and we surf angry as hell here! what do you do when you are sick of all the bennys and kooks crowding up everything in site.

 

killem killem all.

 

o that sucks... monmouth county's got a pretty good bar scene and also a good music scene... stone pony, wonder bar, convention hall/paramount theatre. By the way, anyone going to the Donavon Frankenreiter Concert at the Pony? I really wish I could go but I won't be around

 

Soooooo. . .

The real news is this: New Jersey is a top ten surf and vibe destination (thanks to the Boss and the Sopranos and their pay-as-you-go beach tags and NYC medical waste on the beaches) so everybody should leave here, where ever "here" is, and go there. It's been nice knowing y'all. I'll just stay here thank you very much.

 

As for this top ten list it is not the first time the mag has done this. They do this article every year and OC NJ has made the top ten before along with various other EC towns. I have never notice any change over all the years I' lived at the beach in the surfing population. As the season change your surf spots change accordingly to deal with crowds or none at all. When it comes to the West Coast (SoCal) Thats where people are more likely to transplant and live the dream. I know I got the bug and moved to PB in SD for three years. I surfed just about every day and partied like it was a endless South Jersey Shore summertime. As for the vibe out there my experience differs from Zach619. I never ran into any problems in the line up and my surf zone was from Mission to Blacks. Everybody is going to get dropped in on at some point but I never had a problem getting any waves I went for. I think its all how you hold yourself in the lineup.

 

I have to agree. I have been there over a 10000 times just to surf and will someday be living there but every time I go I never ever have a problem. Vibes in the water are great and I get nodded into waves by the local guys. I have NEVER EVER been nodded into a wave by a surfer in NJ even at my own beach. EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Unfortunately I have to agree with the above - particularly Northern NJ (I live here) and LI.

Also the comment about RI being a top location is a stretch (I'm from there...)

 

I have but it was during the bertha swell, so there were a lot of waves. its either ****s or chill dudes. Not much of inbetween. I think the locals should be more open to letting people get waves because most locals surf all year round therefore their wave count is soaring above the count of a person that can only afford to make it down for a single week vacation. As long as no one is dropping in, I don't think there should be any bitter attitudes. No one owns ****.

 

montauk top 10? i guess it's possible...maybee #10...and that's onleey IF there'z actualleey surf...which iz uh huge ingredient...but yea, when there'z uh d-cint swell, montauk can rival california pt. breaks...but it's def. not az good az cali...

 

i see... and what dialect is that?

 

to everyon who responded to my san diego comments.

let me be more specific. there are a few general rules that always apply here. and every single surfer does not fit this, but here it is.

no one who surfs anywhere in mission or pacific beach is really any good. (expect for the mission jetty). if u ever surfed the jetty when there is overhead swell and u say u got a set wave, u didn't get a set wave. those guys there live in claremont, smoke meth and they will fight u. everything else in mission and pb is a beginner spot. just poorer quality and power. tourmaline stays 5 feet when blacks is 12 feet.

south of the san diego river, there is a huge, about 1200 foot drop off the reef shelf;which has a similar affect to blacks. really deep water running into a giant under water wall, which is why all winter surf is bigger from ob and south, and from blacks to the north.

again, I am not saying that because u lived in pb that u r some kook that can't surf. im just stating the facts about most people who live there. pb is 98 percent frat boy transplants who buy an egg shape funboard and drink too much.

I like to surf the beach breaks in mission and pb when the ob beach breaks get too big and closeout dumpy. I spend many winter days up there cause the gradual shelf off pbs shore calms down the swells, much like the mid atlantic back east, which oc md local know all too well.

as far as blacks goes, its the most crowded break in town, but there r no locals. only ucsd students and everyone else drives there from their own beach town. so even tho a few guys consistently shread blacks, u can always get waves there its a zoo. a free for all and as long as u don't kook it, u will get waves.

so,don't get me wrong, I love pb. but the surf is wack.

when u guys lived here;did u ever surf the ob jetty or ob pier. how about sunset clffs? trust me, its super locd out. whenever its good.

sunset cliffs, all of ob, mission jetty, windansea, bird rock, swamis and la jolla cove when its tripple ovrhead.

all above spots;even when its two feetout; u will get snaked. all ay long. trust me.

 

I never really surfed that far south. I usually hit the Northern County SD spots and most of OC and further north....

I have heard on many occasions that windansea, bird rock, and swamis are localized but I have never surfd any of those spots...

 

most of the time they are all over-rated. Swamis is a very simple wave to surf. Its a giant mushy long ass right that anyone can get a decent ride on. Its just real local

OC has tons of quality breaks. I surf in Orange county a lot in the summer. It gets the steeper south swells a bit better.

Speaking of localized, did I mention lowers? not middle or upper trestles. My goodness, in the summer, I have seen the craziest altercations ever. Retarded 20 year war vet locals screaming and beating on visitors. There are so many peaks around that spot, it makes lowers almost pointless to surf. There are real good vibes all around it, but right on the good peak is ground zero for mainland american surf drama.

 

I think the whole stereotype of people from NY/NJ as being aggro is generally false, IMHO. I would definitely say that they are more direct and confrontational when necessary; I can appreciate this because any disputes can be settled quickly, and usually without further incident.

 

New smyrna made top 10? pretty sick. NSB has most consistant wave in Florida. "INLET"

Most sharks also

 

In case anyone wanted to know the current state of east coast vibe/attitude, I refer you to the two replies to my post. They feed off any negative they can extract out of life and bring it to the water with them. NY and NJ are notorious for it. No place in either of these states should fall into the top 10. (note- I don't think I misspelled anything here, but if i did, please let me know because I dearly don't want to disappoint the great f**cking "coolness kings and spelling bee champs of the east coast"...(d**chebags...)
http://www.swellinfo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5236

 

I agree with Zach. I have been to Swamis and it is real easy to surf but the locals there will vibe you. But whatever. Also, I saw that top ten list too and wasn't the picture for OCNJ really Atlantic City?

Anyway, favorite spot on the list is Encinitas. I would love to move there too. Such a great overall vibe.

 

If you live and surf south of the San Diego River you are NOT supposed to be surfing north of the River. You should have learned that by now!

The waves in San Diego tend to be crowded and the water very dirty (year round not just after rains) but there are some very nice reefs in the Sunset Cliffs and La Jolla areas. Big Rock is fun on many days that Windansea is jammed - not as many people like the shallow rock ledge.