So your graduate school happens to be in the capital of U.S. surfing. NICE! Mind that it will be at least embarrassing if you tell your friends that you’ve lived around 4, 5 or even 6 (how long does a PhD. lasts again?) in SoCal and you’ve never even tried surfing. So in this post I will give you a little help on how to get started and, if you’re already familiar with the sport, some useful tips to enjoy the best of the California surf scene.
I myself am no surf specialist. I actually started a few months ago just as a new experience. What happened is that I ended up really liking it. It matches both things I love the most in life: beach and exercise. After my first surfing experience my whole body felt sore because it is such complete-body workout! And yet I didn’t fell exhausted, actually I just felt very relaxed and renovated from the daily-routine.
Starting:
Because surfing requires some equipment, it can be a little hard to get motivated to start. Of course no one would not recommend buying a brand new surfboard without even trying it first. So the way I did it, and the way I recommend you do it, is first taking a surf lesson! There are various surf schools around, in Newport and in Huntington Beach. I found a Groupon deal for one of the schools and tried it out with my friend for a very reasonable price, the good thing is that you can use their equipment (surfboard and wetsuit) so there’s no commitment on buying anything! It was one of the best experiences and I was even able to stand up (most people are).
Getting your First Board:
So now that you’ve tried it out and you’re sure you want to continue surfing, the next step is to get a board. The best option, and what most people do is to get a 8’ Wavestorm from Costco (the website says it’s $179 but I bought mine for $99 because they are regularly on sale). You might also want a wetsuit (the Pacific is COLD!), there are plenty good options online at Amazon, (but make sure you’ve tried them onto know your size first, you could do this in the surf lesson and ask your instructor which size is the best for you). If you feel comfortable with buying used ones, you might also want to check Craigslist for good local deals.
Where to go:
Here’s a list of good surf spots in Orange County, in my personal preference order:
OBS: if you click on the link for each beach, you will be taken to a real-time video camera view of the beach, pretty cool!
This is where I caught the best wave of my life! From longboard fans (especially beginners), this place is the perfect spot. The combination of cobblestone reef that lies underwater causes the wave to slide and roll gently. The swell size is around 1 – 3ft and holds up to 3m – 10 ft on big days. It is a fun right and left wave to longboard during high tide, and you can also get some really long rides. Just watch out for sharp rocks and urchins.
This was where I learned how to surf and it’s the capital of surfing in California. It offers the typical southern California beach-break. There are surfable waves on both sides of the pier, although the South peak is trendier. Here are the most consistent waves of the West Coast, so it will almost always have waves while other areas are flat. Right and left beach break offer several miles of peaky fast waves that sometimes close out. Mild to powerful.
Surf Location: Take I-405 to Beach Boulevard, take that west to Highway 1. Make a right at the Hyatt Hotel and take that one mile to the Huntington Beach Pier.
Some of the best shortboard surfing spots in SoCAl: The Wedge, 15th Street, and 54th/56th Street, for example, are in Newport Beach. The swells start working at 2m-2.5m / 6ft-8ft and holds up to 4m+ / 12ft on big days. Some of the best sandbars are formed off of the jetties, creating some of the best barrels in SoCal. 54th street is mostly a right, and 56th is an incredible left. The more northern beach breaks after 56th get really good and help spread the crowd out. The Wedge is a crazy SoCal surf rollercoaster. The wave is really hollow and deep and easily breaks in the sand. For more advanced surfers, it’s an iconic must-surf Southern California spot.
Surf Location: Take I-405 to Highway 55, go south toward Newport Beach. Highway 55 will end and turn into Newport Boulevard, take that to Highway 1 and go left at Balboa Boulevard, where you will find metered parking.
San Onofre State Beach/Old Man’s
San Onofre is also one of the best places to learn to surf in Southern California. Long, outside right and left waves that break slowly and easily. San Onofre is manly a longboard beach. There are three main surf spots in the area, and they all break in about the same way. The surf crowd there is very friendly and willing to share waves. Be prepared for rocky bottom, I’d highly recommend using surf booties here. Also, watch out for out-of-control beginners!
Surf Location: Take I-5 south to San Onofre Beach exit, where you’ll see nuclear power plant domes. You will need to pay for
Parking at California State Parks:
Most of these beaches are part of California State Parks. Parking at these places can cost up to $15. If you feel like you’ll be making regular surf trips, you could get the California State Park season pass, that will cover your parking fees for an entire year!
Surf Forecast:
It’s a good practice to keep updated with the surfing forecast before committing to a drive to the beach. I’d recommend sources like the Magic Seaweed (there is also the mobile app) and Surfline Southern California.
I really hope this post encourages you to begin not only an amazing sport, but a challenging and rewarding experience for your life