Alright buckle up because we are about to do one of the most comprehensive surf guides to surfing Central California.
If you don't know me, I'm Katia, I've been surfing for 8 years and learned in my teens, and I have solo traveled and surfed around some of the best waves around the world just for fun. Right now I’m living abroad BUT if I had to tell you where really feels like home is for me, it would be somewhere along the Central CA coastline, away from the cities and where and you’re never far from the sea OR mountains :,)
Here is a map more or less of the range of the "Central Coast," extending Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Santa Cruz according to the tourism board.
This post is meant to be an overview of some of the most popular surf spots for beginner-to intermediate surfers. I surfed for the very first time out here in 2016, and have spent probably thousands of hours in the water to progress my surfing on this coastline ever since.
SURF SEASON
First things first, if you're gonna come down here you need to know when you're most likely to score waves. This part of the California coast typically prefers northern swells which are timed with the California winter. The flattest month of the year is August, but you typically can get fun swells even through the months of May and June. (If you are dying to surf California in August, look no further than Trestles!)
WATER TEMPERATURES
Second thing, you need to understand the water temps. Point Conception is a natural feature of the Central Coast where the coastline starts to run east/west. Spots north of the point are FRIGID, getting colder and colder as you head up to Big Sur. Spots south of Point Conception generally run 5-10 °F warmer in my experience.
CHOOSING A WETSUIT
With that in mind, I recommend a 4/3 mm as your primary wetsuit to stay warm year round if you’re surfing north of Point Conception. If you’re surfing south of the point, you’ll be fine with 4/3 in winter and 3/2 mm wetsuits in summer, sometimes even trunking it!
GEOGRAPHY
Another little caveat are those darn beautiful Channel Islands which shelter a lot of swell from reaching Santa Barbara. Even on the biggest days where all of CA is lit up, Santa Barbara generally delivers a much softer & smaller wave.
Oh, and hopefully you like surfing rights. Almost all the point breaks in CA are right point breaks, which is convenient for the regular surfer. If you're goofy and want to surf lefts, you should just book a one way ticket to Peru.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE SHARKS?
I'm not gonna lie, if you had asked me 3 years ago about sharks, I would have laughed. Recently, however, there have been more shark attack headlines in many beaches that I used to frequent. A friend of my dad's even died from a shark attack in Northern California last year.
My best advice is to do your research and educate yourself on shark attacks. My personal belief is that there are many things more threatening in surfing before sharks (drowning, currents, rocks, other people, sting rays etc.) and I can tell you I have never seen a Great White after hundreds if not thousands of hours in these waters.
Okay, with that overview done, now we will go over all my favorite recommended waves….
BEST BET FOR BEGINNERS
We all start somewhere. Surfing in California has gotten so popular that it can be annoying or borderline dangerous in overcrowded places. It’s important to clock a lot of time surfing before heading out to serious spots and these are some of the most beginner-friendly areas. Also, if you haven’t yet invested in a board, you are likely to find board rentals at or near these spots!
Campus Point (UCSB)
a super calm point break on UC Santa Barbara campus! Campus Point is a grom training ground. Every parent in Santa Barbara dreams of raising the next pro right here. It gets crowded with little kiddos on weekends and outside of their school hours, but it stays super tiny most days. In my experience, it is among the best place to teach your friends to surf, in fact it’s where I stood up for the first time :) For the more experienced surfer, it can be awesome on the biggest days of the year (pictured), but the paddle will burn!
Mondo's (Ventura Highway)
this is like a baby wave pool. There is no one spectacular wave, but there are a bunch of little fun ones all over which allow the crowds to spread out and the vibe to stay super friendly. Mondo's is literally right off Highway 1 as it runs along the water, and it is the perfect beach day to head down with friends and enjoy a calm surf.
Cowells (Santa Cruz)
Look at those linesssss! This awesome spot is actually where I took my first and only ever surf lesson from a surf shop. Right next to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Cowells is a bit more sheltered but is beautiful with a solid swell.
It takes a bigger day to get these soft peaks rolling -- the swell pictured here was about 5-6 feet at other spots on this same day. You can either park up on the cliffs or in the small parking lot to the right of the pier, then walk out to the beach. Low tide is your best bet, because by high tide the water is hitting the cliffs and creating mushy backwash. If Cowells isn't working and you're in the area, try Steamers Lane just around the bend.
Capitola Beach
I spent most of my days as an early surfer out at this gentle spot. Just to the left of the jetty, a wave breaks and you can ride it surprisingly far until you reach a cove and some rocks. It is extremely beginner-friendly and as long as you are practicing basic surf etiquette, don't let anyone discourage you here. (Angry surfers should go elsewhere.) When Santa Cruz has huge waves, Capitola is often half the size and still easy and soft.
Parking can be tricky to come by on the weekends, but wherever you park (on the street or a paid lot) in tiny Capitola-by-the-Sea shouldn't be more than a 10 minute walk from the beach. The one downside? The water is really polluted as it is the drainage of a big river, and some days the beach is closed due to pollution!
FOR CONSISTENT SWELL
Every surfer has been bummed out by a long flat spell.. In the event you score a few dud days on the California coastline, check these spots on Surfline which will likely have something to work it!
Morro Bay
is a sweet and scenic spot to surf right next to the gorgeous Morro Rock, that gets swell most days out of the year. It’s definitely been too big for me on many winter days, but it is super promising as a summer or fall spot. It’s not uncommon to see all kinds of boards, long and short, out here. I find the water really chilly, so a 4/3 mm suit is a must.
I also enjoy Morro Strand, just north of Morro Rock, because it is so beautiful and crisp and powerful. Again, just choose your own little spot on the side of the road, or if you know a local maybe they’ll show your their favorite secret reef.
Sands Beach (Isla Vista, CA)
would be the best place for consistent waves in Santa Barbara, right adjacent to UCSB campus. This is my special place because it’s where I really became a surfer— surfing here everyday (often twice a day! ) for a year. It’s not a particularly incredible wave, but since SB is all south facing, this is the only part that actually faces west and gets that raw energy.
I find plenty of fun and fast rights and lefts here, but the rides are rarely more than 5-10 seconds. Beware of submerged rocks and huge crowds of students. There is also lots of tar, so it might smell a little funny or get on your toes!
Jalama Beach County Park
is perhaps the Central Coast's best kept secret. Though it’s not so secret anymore considering it’s nearly impossible to book a campsite here year round… From highway 101, take a 14 mile windy road, “Jalama Road” that dead ends into this sprawling, beautiful, secluded surf spot. When Santa Barbara is flat, everyone comes up here for powerful and chilly waves.
There are a bunch of named reefs and rocks here if you walk about a half mile down the beach, or if you can just surf the beach straight in front of the parking. Jalama is a treasure because it’s the only public access in all of Hollister Ranch, which is the stretch of coastline between SLO and Gaviota. Since it’s a county beach, entrance is $10 for the day, or if you’re lucky and cop a campsite that’s the dream!
NOTE: *The sharkiest beach in CA is not far from here. Do your research :)*
Steamer Lane (Santa Cruz)
You see those big waves out there? I somehow got convinced to paddle out but I was terrified and I sure as hell didn't catch anything. Steamers is a swell magnet up in Santa Cruz, being the point break with the most consistent waves. At the top of the cliff, a lighthouse actually holds the Surf Museum and commemorates this coastline as a World Surf Reserve, so you know it's legit. Best at low tide, many days of the year are only for advanced surfers, and even on a small day you should probably only go out if you are at least an intermediate surfer.
To get into the water, you either have to time it well and paddle off the rocks at the bottom of the staircase, or if you're a real one you can jump the 20 feet off the cliff with your board! This is Santa Cruz' most competitive spot, so I wouldn't recommend going on a bigger day, alone, especially if you don't know the wave well or have some local pals. But if it's a flat summer day everywhere else, try Steamers which might have something.
Pismo Beach Pier
Super easy access (park in the lot for hourly rates or find free street parking!) and you have so much beach to work with. Surfing next to the pier has better waves, but the whole beach has surfing potential.
Be prepared for cold water, a long paddle out, and some unforgiving close outs. Because there is so much whitewater and sandy bottom here, you can even push your beginner mates into some waves on foamies - loved this session with my sister!
FOR THE LOVERS OF POINT BREAKS
If you have gotten the curse of many beautiful waves throughout your life and travels, any old beach break might not cut it for you. Here are some of my favorite point breaks with nice right-hand peelers.
Devereux Beach (Isla Vista)
"Devs" is a go-to for UC Santa Barbara students with longboards because you can ride those rights for hundreds of meters, and it’s very gentle even on big days. It’s more of a log/longboard scene here, but I have had some super fun shortboard seshes taking off as close to the rocks as possible to get some steep faces. As you can see in the photo, there are submerged rocks, so try to locate them and be aware!
C Street (California Street, Ventura)
is one of my personal favorite breaks because the vibes here hit different. For one, all kinds of boards and surfers can have fun here, from longboards to shortboards to beginners and advanced. It's a lot better bet in the morning, because the afternoons often get windy or blown-out and ruin the quality of the wave.
If you go far enough to the right, it’s technically Ventura Point, so I like to start here and let the waves and currents push me all the way to the actual “C Street” break which extends towards the pier. I’ve seen a video of a guy with a 60 second ride here.
If that’s not enough to catch your interest, Surfers Point Cafe is one of the cutest local cafes and makes the perfect pre- or post-surf treat just around the corner. You can pay to park in any of the lots by the beach. In my dream adult life I’m going to live at the beachfront apartments here someday.
Rincon Point (south of Carpinteria)
The queen of the coast.™ We Californians are so blessed to call this spot our own. You gotta get lucky to get Rincon to work, and don’t bet on there being a surf cam to check because that would be too easy. You pretty much have to drive out there to check if you aren't sure what the swell looks like. But I promise even a small day at Rincon is worth it!
You have to feel it to believe it. The first wave you catch will just take you, super hard peeling to the right, but hard enough that it could very well become a barrel. Unfortunately because of this, the current is tough and it will be some of the most exhausting paddling of your life. Take the lead from other surfers and get out and walk back up to save your energy between rides. Also, if you aren't comfortable around aggressive surfers or are still learning surf etiquette, I would not come here quite yet.
Dawn patrol is the name of the game here to actually catch a wave of your own. There are three sections to choose from, but I recommend starting up at the peak as the current pushes you along. The parking lot is free and the vibes immaculate.
Pleasure Point / Jacks/ The Hook (Santa Cruz)
These are my favorites on the list! This series of breaks is also my go-to spot when I'm home in the Bay Area. We will drive an hour each way to get a surf session in and it's worth it every time :) While these spots work at every tide, it is very difficult to get in and out at high tide, so I recommend surfing low to mid tide so you don't kill yourself from all the paddling and rocks. These are essentially three spots all right next to each other, extending a half mile down the coastline of Capitola.
Pleasure Point is the most advanced and furthest spot, where there are several different peaks to choose from. I typically sit far away from the main point, at the third or fourth point down the way. On a good day, Pleasure Point can be one of the best, but one of the most crowded, surf spots in California. I really like the vibe as a more experienced and confident surfer, just always making sure to respect surf etiquette. Beginners can dabble in this wave on smaller days, too!
Jacks follows Pleasure Point, a smaller wave with only half the paddle-out, that is named after the infamous Jack Oneill (a surfing pioneer and founder of Oneill). Jacks is great for beginners, and local surf schools will take you here if you book a lesson. It is only about 400 m from some waves at Pleasure Point, so you can kinda hop between waves if you get antsy. The best way into Jacks is by the stairway at the base of Jack's house.
The Hook comes further down from Jacks, right in front of a free parking lot and bathrooms. It is a really beautiful wave with a slightly more constrained take-off zone. While you can get plenty of nice long rides, you do need to paddle back up every time because there are no more beaches to paddle in further down the coast. The Hook is the more intermediate of these three breaks but also gets big on a swell!
TO ESCAPE THE CROWDS
So much of why I surf is to be in nature, and these spots are an opportunity to have more water and waves to yourself, although sometimes compromising the wave quality.
Emma Wood (Ventura Highway)
is a family fun place and you can park for free on the side of the road and just get your own solo sesh. I know Santa Barbara’s own professional surfer girl Lakey Peterson surfs Emma Wood a lot so that’s promising. If you go early in the morning, it's glassy and there's no one on the beach yet!
Big Sur
Okay I am cheating a bit here by wrapping a whole section of the coast into one, but Big Sur takes several hours to access and therefore you will find the surf spots much less crowded. Sand Dollar Beach is the best for beginners and also has a popular campsite. It is colder, more isolated, and can be sharky, so be aware of your surroundings. A trip to Big Sur and up highway 1 is the quintessential California roadtrip and one of the most iconic on earth!
Manresa State Beach
This spot about 20 minutes south of Santa Cruz has something for everyone - big sandy beach, places to walk your dog, beautiful bluffs, and some decent waves! The waves are definitely a whole bunch of beach break but it is nice there are lifeguards on duty. Parking is $10 unless you have a state park pass.
FUN NOVELTY WAVE
Sandspit
this rare little breaker off of the Santa Barbara wharf is such a cool little novelty wave! You can either walk out past the wharf or paddle across the little marina to get here. It hardly breaks— needs just the right winter swell to hit— but there is this one famous pic online where a surfer got the best wave of a decade in a gorgeous barrel here.
IN SUM
I said this was the most comprehensive list ever but I didn’t even touch on most of our breaks between Monterey and Morro Bay which are reserved for real tough, cold weather surfers.
Thank you to my wonderful mom that is not only willing to accompany for many chilly surf missions, but also take fabulous photos of me with her telephoto camera lens! (If you're a California surfer in need of a photographer, she's got you!) Also thanks to all my friends and family that have taught me, surfed with me, and kept the stoke up! Let's all keep California surfing safe and FUN !
Comment if you have a favorite Central California surf break or if I left one out!
