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Spot: Huntington Beach, CA
33° 39.33828' N, 118° 0.20525'W
The Waves
From Seapoint Ave at the border of Bolsa Chica in the north, to Brookhurst Street at the border of the Santa Ana River in the south, Huntington Beach is five miles of wind and swell-swept beachbreak - and the Huntington Pier runs directly through it.
Huntington Beach divides into three:
From Bolsa Chica south are the Huntington Cliffs which are a continuation of Bolsa Chica. On the land side of PCH is a lot of oil apparatus. On the ocean side the Cliffs are equal parts reef and beach running down to Goldenwest Street.
From Goldenwest Street to the pier, Huntington Beach is beachbreaks at the end of streets numbered 22nd to 3rd, with spot names like Taco Bell, Apartments, Condos, etc.
The Huntington Pier is one of the most relentlessly surfed spots in California and the world. The northside is on the north side and the southside is on the south side, believe it or not. Southside is where they hold the Surf Contest Formerly Known as the Op Pro. Strangely, the north side tends to be better on west and northwest swells in the winter, while the southside is generally better during south swells. There is ample parking.
Huntington Beach State Park is allllll that beachbreak from the southside of the Huntington Pier down to the Santa Ana River Jetties. There are a zillion parking spaces and bathrooms and snack bars and all that good stuff, with a couple miles of beachbreak beyond that. On the other side of PCH is a fancy resort, and a power station and a sewage treatment plant and 7200 people per square mile.
Best Swell, Size and Direction
From Matt Warshaw’s Encyclopedia of Surfing: “Huntington is arguably mainland America’s most consistent break, receiving long-distance swells all year, from every available direction (northwest to southeast, with southern-based swells having poorer form), and even turning local windswells into reasonably organized surf. Wave shape is better during west or northwest swells.”
Ideal size is generally up to six feet, although contests have been held at the southside of the pier in surf up to eight feet, often with spectacular results: Sunny Garcia headbutting the pilings and Rochelle Ballard knocking herself out cold – and coming back to win the next day.
Tide depends on season size of the swell, the shape of the sandbars, etc. But beachbreaks generally like medium tides and higher tides. Waves being made of water and all that.
Surrounding Spots
To the south is Santa Ana River Jetties (see warning above) and then the many wonders of Newport Beach jetties, and the Wedge.
To the north is Sunset Beach, then Seal Beach then Ray Bay and then all of LA County.
Difficulty Level
Beginners to the many generations of hot pros who have competed in Huntington over the years, from David Nuuhiwa to Shaun Tomson to Tom Curren to Andy Irons.
When Huntington is small, it’s gentle and easy and surf schools dot the beach from River Jetties to Bolsa Chica. But this is a beachbreak and the peaks move around, and can be as hard to catch as a greased frog.
When the surf gets bigger, the waves move outside to sandbars, and the currents flow and the place can get downright nasty. Ask Sunny Garcia or Rochelle Ballard or any of the pros who have tangled with the south side of the pier during contests.
Localism Factor
Thickest on both sides of the pier, because the currents flowing through the pier leave the best sandbars, and the pier also provides a windbreak. As you get away from the pier, life generally gets mellower
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