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Spot: Black's Beach, CA
32°52′38″N, 117°15′11″W
The Waves
Black’s is very different from all the other beachbreaks in San Diego County, because this beach can easily hold triple-overhead and above. Part of the reason is the presence of the La Jolla Canyon, a submarine trench that comes very close to shore. And if you don’t believe us, listen to Dr. Ricky Grigg, who got his Phd. at Scripps: “The canyon starts at around 300 feet from the beach and is the continuation of a large eroded gully on the land. During the last ice age when sea level was about 400 feet lower than it is today, the gully and the canyon were connected. Today the connection morphology is covered by sand. I lived on the edge of the canyon at a depth of 205 feet for 15 days in 1965 in the Sealab II program. We dived out of the lab to 450 feet but never got to the bottom of the canyon. Just vertical walls. Awesome. Scary.”
Black’s has three main peaks, with lots of slots, angles, sections and dipsydoodles which change with time and tide and swell and season. It’s appropriate this wave is so close to all the eggheads at UCSD, because it takes a thinking, patient man to figure it all out when it’s big.
Talk about steep and deep. Blacks is similar to Moss Landing in NorCal, where big winter swells speed forward unslowed by drag, then all of a sudden hit the shallows.
Black’s has three main peaks, with lots of slots, angles, sections and dipsydoodles which change with time and tide and swell and season. It’s appropriate this wave is so close to all the eggheads at UCSD, because it takes a thinking, patient man to figure it all out when it’s big
Best Swell, Size and Direction
West to northwest from a long way away in the winter is best, but Blacks is also rideable small year-around, and it’s a little protected from the northwest winds which screech the beach in spring.
Surrounding Spots
To the north, Torrey Pines, one of the last secret spots in Southern California. To the south, La Jolla Shores and a lot of stingrays.
Difficulty Level
When it’s maxing, giant Blacks is one of the most challenging waves in California. When it’s flat, it’s beginner friendly but in general Blacks is for intermediate to experienced surfers, because this beachbreak packs a punch.
Localism Factor
Ever been vibed by a PhD candidate or a Nobel prize winner? This is the place to do that. Actually, there is no one group of surfers that tries to control Blacks – no La Jolla Locos or UCSD Cru gangbanger wannabes, which is nice – but Blacks is a great wave so it’s a popular wave and it’s just very competitive.
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