There’s a reason 13 of the 15 surf spots mentioned in the Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA” are in California—the Golden State is home to hundreds of legendary breaks across 840 miles of coastline. Though more than one million surfers call the state home, waves still outnumber the groms. If you’re wanting to score some quality swells, a trip up the California coast is your best bet, so pack your boards, dust off your wetsuit, and hit the road.
Black’s Beach
San Diego
Start your road trip in sunny San Diego at Black’s Beach, where world-class waves and unapologetically naked hippies converge. The secret recipe for this epic beach break is a massive submarine canyon a thousand feet deep that funnels swells up to the surface rapidly to produce rippable A-frames.
On bigger days, “canyon sets” are a looming threat that emerge from the depths and can clear whole lineups of unsuspecting surfers. In the winter, the spot can produce walls up to 25 feet tall and provide an elusive barrel for the most dedicated of big wave chargers. Black’s is the optimal proving grounds for testing the durability of your shortboard; your tolerance for big wave hold-downs; and your love of traversing tall, unstable cliffs.
- Parking: Torrey Pines Gliderport and a mile-long hike down the cliffside
- Board to Bring: Daily driver shortboard; step-up or big wave gun when it’s on
- Post-Surf Grub: Anything ending in -berto’s: Adalberto’s, Rigoberto’s, Filiberto’s, Roberto’s…
Trestles
San Onofre
Just 45 minutes up the coast (or an hour and a half in Camp Pendleton gridlock) is Trestles, home to arguably the most consistent waves in California. Named for the train tracks that cross the San Mateo Creek, Trestles is a veritable amusement park for surfers, attracting hundreds daily, including the world’s best—Caitlin Simmers, Jack Robinson, and Kolohe Andino among them.
Regardless of your skill level, there is a wave for you at Trestles, which is split into three main sections: Lowers, the home of the WSL finals, where groms bust airs for their sponsorship tapes; Uppers, equipped with fast rights for regular footers looking to carve; and Middles, offering some breathing room for longboarders wanting some mellow waves. No matter what you ride, Trestles is always serving up the goods—if you can dodge the crowds.
- Parking: Park on Cristianitos Road and walk through the reserve, or park closer at San Onofre State Beach with a state pass
- Board to Bring: Anything that floats—shortboards, fish, logs, a reclaimed door
- Post-Surf Grub: Sanchos Tacos, Surfin’ Chicken Grill, or A’s Burgers near Doheny
The Wedge
Orange County
Travel another 35 miles north and you’ll reach the third destination in our journey, The Wedge. Reinstate your health insurance policy, limber up, and paddle out into the Thunderdome of California surf spots. Born from the construction of the Newport Harbor Jetty in the ’30s, this mutant of a wave can reach up to 25 feet tall, breaking directly onto dry sand. Surfing out here feels irresponsible.
Bodyboarders, skimboarders, and bodysurfers rule the water (and the sky) in this area producing gravity-defying airs and insane wipeouts, but surfers are known to sneak a few amid the chaos. This isn’t the place to take out your favorite board; opt for one of Costco’s finest $100 petrochemical watercrafts instead.
- Parking: Pray to the street parking gods for a spot in the residential areas adjacent to East Balboa Boulevard
- Board to Bring: Soft top, boogie board, your body—things you don’t mind breaking
- Post-Surf Grub: Chronic Tacos, Tacos Cancun, Balboa Lily’s, or Newport Landing Restaurant. Order a margarita to nurse your wipeout-induced migraine
Huntington Beach Pier
Orange County
Just eight miles up Highway 1, you’ll arrive at the epicenter of California surfing: Huntington Beach. Known as “Surf City USA,” this spot holds over 100 years of surfing history. Duke Kahanamoku visited often in the 1920s, helping popularize surfing in the mainland, and the US Open of Surfing got its start here. Huntington has also been an incubator of surfing culture. It was the launching point for icons such as Jack’s Surfboards, Surfline, the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, and The Endless Summer.
A lot has changed over the years, and it hasn’t always been pretty—until the 1980s, hundreds of oil derricks lined the beach like an industrial forest, and nearby Bolsa Chica was nicknamed “Tin Can Beach” for the 300-plus tons of trash that littered the sand. While oil spills haven’t entirely disappeared (one occurred in 2021), the current vibes are a far cry from the area’s industrial days… except when 500,000 people flood the beach for the US Open, turning it into a new iteration of Tin Can Beach. Nevertheless, Huntington is still California’s shrine to surfing and a worthwhile pilgrimage for any disciple.
- Parking: Metered spots near the pier, or shell out more at at a nearby private lot
- Board to Bring: A shortboard for punchy days or a longboard for flatter days
- Post-Surf Grub: Duke’s Huntington Beach, Sandy’s Beach Shack, or any of the hole-in-the-wall joints around Pacific City
Malibu
Los Angeles
If you hate LA traffic, wait til you paddle out at Malibu. Located 92 miles past the thick of LA, this place is surfing royalty. While it requires navigating crowds in and out of the water, it’s definitely worth it. Easily one of California’s best, Malibu’s right-hander is the stuff of legends, a wave first popularized by Gidget in the ’50s. Under the right conditions, this conveyor belt of a wave can send you halfway to Santa Monica.
The point break is a top destination in the professional longboarding circuit due to its famously long, sloping waves that are ideal for noseriding. Plus, it’s your chance to get snaked by celebs like Matthew McConaghuey and Jonah Hill, who frequent the break. Surfing rules can be a bit lax here—on a busy day, expect to meet a couple new “friends” who will share their love of surfing with you on every wave.
- Parking: Street parking is the move, unless you happen to luck into a spot at the paid Surfrider Beach lot
- Board to Bring: Longboard—anything else is borderline sacrilegious.
- Post-Surf Grub: Malibu Farm, Neptune’s Net, or SunLife Organics for a pricey smoothie
Rincon Point
Santa Barbara
Leaving the chaos of Los Angeles behind, head 83 miles up the coast to Rincon Point, a dreamy point break known as the “Queen of the Coast.” Santa Barbara doesn’t often get the acknowledgement or waves it deserves, thanks to those meddling Channel Islands, which block most south swells. But when it’s on, Rincon is magic.
This spot boasts some of the longest waves in the West, giving visitors a blank canvas for deep carves, stylish trimming, and fancy footwork. The lineup is divided into three main sections: Indicator, a mellow intro and “indication” for how the rest of the sections will break; the Cove, the main attraction with the best waves of the bunch; and the Rivermouth, a punchy, hollow section. On the rarest of days, it’s possible to ride a wave from Indicator to the Cove, as long as you’re good at playing human Frogger.
- Parking: Street parking off the 101 near Bates Road
- Board to Bring: Mid-length or longboard—whatever will keep you on the wave the longest
- Post-Surf Grub: Check out nearby Carpinteria for a beer and a bite at The Spot, Rincon Brewery, or Padaro Beach Grill
Steamer Lane
Santa Cruz
Welcome to Northern California, where the water’s colder, the cliffs are steeper, and surfing isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Locals here have a bone to pick with Huntington Beach’s designation as Surf City. This spot is another shrine in the halls of surfing history—it’s where Jack O’Neill fine-tuned modern wetsuit and leash design and the site of the first recorded American surf sesh (three Hawaiian princes paddled out at San Lorenzo River mouth in 1885).
According to a legend dating back to the 1930s, Steamer Lane got its name because surfers once paid local steamships to cruise by in the hopes of producing waves. Despite this ridiculous tale, the Lane is a jackpot for surfers, attracting powerful swells from northwest to south that wrap around Monterey Bay. The nearby cliffs provide protection from the wind and a peanut gallery for onlookers to applaud or heckle you as you paddle out into the lineup. Daredevils are known to drop into waves from the cliffside to mixed success—consult your primary care physician before trying.
- Parking: Parking off the 101 at Bates Road
- Board to Bring: Mid-lengths or longboards, anything to enjoy the ride for as long as possible
- Post-Surf Grub: Steamer Lane Supply right on the cliffs or the nearby Picnic Basket
Mavericks
Half Moon Bay
This next surf destination is for the psychos who like spelunking, ultramarathons, and other forms of masochism. If sharky waters, submerged boulders, and massive waves are your cup of tea, welcome to Mavericks. Located off the point of Half Moon Bay, this is the type of surf spot best enjoyed from the comfort of a telephoto lens, thousands of feet away while the gnarliest big-waves surfers put it all on the line.
Big-wave legend Jeff Clark was in high school when he used to tackle Mavericks in the ’70s—which might send a chill down your spine when you realize that this cold-water leviathan is known to produce waves up to 60 feet, breaking onto a boneyard of jagged rocks, broken boards, and other flotsam. While most of us mere mortals will never attempt to paddle out here, it’s worth a stop to enjoy the spectacle of local legends like Grant “Twiggy” Baker and Nic Lamb attempting the impossible. If you’re visiting in winter, you might catch a glimpse of the Mavericks Big Wave Invitational, attracting surfing’s biggest adrenaline junkies and human ragdolls.
- Parking: Park at the Half Moon Bay Harbor and walk to the view point
- Board to Bring: Unless you’re Laird Hamilton, you’re better off staying on the shore
- Post-Surf Grub: Sam’s Chowder House or Barbara’s Fishtrap for a comforting order of fish and chips
Fort Point
San Francisco
People might think you’re crazy if you tell them you surfed under the Golden Gate Bridge, but Fort Point is proof that you can. Waves at this Civil War fort bordering one of California’s most iconic landmarks might not be the best; however, what they lack in quality, they make up for in pure novelty.
Larger swells out of the west and northwest can awaken this spot. Be warned—locals can get a bit testy when sets finally roll into the bay. Hazards here include submerged rocks, currents that can sweep you out past the Golden Gate Bridge, and occasional parking lot skirmishes. All things considered, it might just be worth it for the photo op if you don’t mind stalking surf forecasts for weeks beforehand.
- Parking: Free parking is available at the Fort Point National Historic Site, but space is limited
- Board to Bring: Anything you don’t mind cracking on a boulder
- Post-Surf Grub: Warm up with a bowl of chowder at Boudin Bakery, or head to the Marina for a burger and beer at The Tipsy Pig
Ocean Beach
San Francisco
If Steamer Lane hasn’t rattled you and Mavericks hasn’t destroyed your will to live, head up the coast to Ocean Beach (no, not that one). OBSF is a place of myths and legends, home to some of California’s heaviest beach break waves. Located remarkably close to the heart of San Francisco, the beach stretches 3.5 miles, offering a wide variety of spots, including Kelly’s Cove, VFW, Noriega and Judah Street, and Sloat Boulevard.
During bigger swells, the strong currents deflate the arms of the strongest swimmers and shuffle the sandbars playing a twisted game of keep away with surfers paddling out. William Finnegan immortalized Ocean Beach in his memoir Barbarian Days, describing eerie, low visibility days and frightening 15-foot sneaker sets. While it’s true that OBSF turns into a gauntlet during California’s winter swells, there are plenty of waves for surfers of all flavors on smaller days.
- Parking: Lots of parking along the Great Highway, but make sure to check for closures due to weather or erosion
- Board to Bring: Step-up board or gun if it’s big. Something that allows you to paddle through rips but still duckdive
- Post-Surf Grub: Tacos from Underdogs Too or a burger at Outerlands (only available on Wednesdays)
