I'm Leaving for california tonight. Being from New Jersey I frequent Puerto Rico when I want to spend some time in heavy surf so I haven't made it out west yet. Is it true that the water is generally always glassy in the morning? I will be staying at the sheraton in ventura near Ventura Harbor, Sheraton in LA, and the Sheraton in La Jolla on my 8 day trip. What are the chances of me scoring some fun clean waves? and I'm a pretty advanced surfer so where should I surf?
if you are an advanced surfer, may i ask why you are asking this question? do some research amigo. there are literally hundreds of spots from ventura to SD. do some homework, post some pics, and have fun. wish i was goingto Socal during summer...
I had a trip for work to the Ventura area this winter. I asked around on SI for where to go and got some good recommendations. I never actually found time to surf, but here is what I was told. C-street in Ventura is an awesome, very user-friendly wave. It gets crowded, and the crowd isn't always so friendly. Like most places, go first thing in the AM to beat the crowd, and for glassier conditions (less wind). For thinner crowds there are jetties along the stretch of sand south of C-street. I haven't surfed in La Jolla, but I've surfed 20 minutes up the road in Encinitas. That break is called Swamis.
Yeah, Hit Rincon up in North Ventura/SB area. Hit Malibu just for novelty, surf Newport on your way down to SD, or hit Trestles. Its still fun even during NWers... Once you get to La Jolla its on. There are still leftover NW swells running and they start hitting Southern San Diego. Some of the steeper NW swells dont fill in as well in LA all the way down through the OC because of island blockage and the SW angle on all the coastline there... Blacks is open to every swell angle. LJ shores is tempting, but its fickle and has a lot of blockage. If there is a decent swell and you really want practice surfing "big, heavy" waves, hit the La Jolla reefs. Even on a 3-5 foot day, you can get the barrel of your life or you can get the hold down/wipe out of your life.... If you are "experienced", I would go that route. How often will you have the chance to surf a slab reef? Ohh, and yes, its glassy ALMOST every morning. There can be some morning sickness if there is a little weather off shore. Some light cross wind. But not enough to blow your day. There is always swell, and even with a little onshore flow, its still going to be better than what you are used to.
head south my friend. Just looked at the swells for the next 7 days. Just like I said... 2-3 and 1-3 each day in Ventura. 2-3 every day in LA county and then once you get down to La Jolla, its running 3-5 feet for the next 7 days.... No offense to Swell Info, but never listen to the wind data on the west coast forecast module. I feel like every day i lived out there, there was sheet glass and no wind every morning, and even in the afternoons, its like 5 MPH wind and the conditions are always good. Swell info always has the wind models looking red or blue like there are going to be wind issues. Its never the case... Maybe its because where the buoys are, the winds are blowing harder or something... Never knew why. Never really spoke up about it on here. But now that I mention it, SI mods, the wind data is always inaccurate for the west coast.
Not always, but usually morning glass. Sometimes some morning sickness as others have mentioned. The ideal time to surf is about an hour after sunup most days. The 9-to-5'ers have all gone to work and the morning sickness has worn off. You can usually score a nice session until 11ish when the onshores start up. There's a bit of NW windswell coming in and a small SW. Should make for fun conditions at some spots. Cstreet is always a good bet for something rideable, and the only break I'm going to mention on here. The crowd can be thick but it's usually cordial, just don't snake somebody up on the point or start running your mouth if you're an out-of-towner. You can surf right at the harbor if you look around, and the crowd factor there is pretty low. If a decent SW is coming through, sniff around the north Malibu breaks. There's lots of hidden gems, but you'll have to find them yourself. Skip Santa Monica, there's nothing there. Everything from El Porto on south is super-publicized so just go look it up on surfline or wherever. Have fun!
DO NOT GO TO ROBERTOS!!!!!!!!!! Do go to a taco joint and get a "cali burrito". Stick to the beach breaks, blacks for sure. Oceanside will pick up the southswell better than South SD. Looks like a north west groundswell is filling in today/Tomorrow so SD should be good. Good luck!
What are you talking about Scobey? Let me guess, you went to Roberot's and had the squirts for a week? LOL
As has been mentioned, the Rincon point break north of Ventura, south of Carpenteria. You can see it from HWY 101. Surfer's Point or C Street near the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Haggertys/Malaga Cove at south end of Torrance Beach/north end of Palos Verdes. Don't know much about the areas further south. Afternoons are generally onshore windy, except when the warm, offshore Santa Ana winds are blowing. For chow: Try Cabo Seafood Grill and Cantina in Oxnard. Great fish tacos. If you have a chance for some tri-tip (steak), try it. Wood Ranch in Camarillo is excellent, but perhaps out of your way. Other places in the Ventura area should have it - perhaps one of the restaurants by Ventura Harbor. Have a great trip.
