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Spot: Imperial Beach, CA [im·pe·ri·al]
32°34'46.07"N 117° 8'0.91"W
The Waves
According to former Surfer Magazine editor Steve Hawk, who spent a lot of time down in IB while working on JFC: “Surf-wise, IB is actually a very good beachbreak, with exposure to south and north swells. In terms of shape and thump and consistency, it's midway between HB and Newport, with one-tenth the crowd and much smellier water. Reminded me of a deserted version of Oceanside. South of town, the sandbars get interesting because of all the river-related shallow zones offshore.”
Best Swell, Size and Direction
IB is like a box of chocolates…. This is a beach on the edge of one country and leading into another and so there is a sense of confusion in the water as well. According to longtime local Serge Dedina: “The reality is that IB can work best on mixed windswells. It’s best on south swells and mixed west/northwest swells.
Medium tide is best, as is true for most beachbreaks.
Imperial Beach is never predictable and there is no rhythm to the crowd. Best idea is to go to the pier and stand at the rail like Linc did in JFC and check the sandbars looking south toward Seacoast Drive.
Sandbars change like the wind, so one spot could be firing and the rest could suck.
IB can get crowded at the south end of the beach with very good local surfers. But most likely this will be a lonely experience for you.
Surrounding Spots
Baja and all it’s mysteries and perils and pleasures is right there across the border. Just don’t go at night and if the Federales try to pull you over: Run!!!!!!
Going north, many of the beaches leading up to Coronado are extremely off limits and prowled by the gnarliest locals of all: the Navy SEALs.
North Beach Coronado is a safe zone and has its moments on south swells but is generally dead flat in the winter, although there can be longboarding at Coronado Shores.
Difficulty Level
This is no country for young groms or old men. The waves along the beaches come out of the ocean with power and break hard. There is a lot of wind and a lot of current and calm days are not the norm. IB is not good for longboarders and not fun for anyone who doesn’t have decent ability.
Localism Factor
According to an IB local, IB locals tend to be very mellow, which is a refreshing difference from most of the rest of the state, and the old days in IB – when the wild west thing extended into the water.
IB is really one of the last old school spots, where surfers are brothers (and sisters) and all that, and that might be worth experiencing alone. The locals are very welcoming, people are generally very friendly in the water, like to talk, like to share stories. Just be respectful on the north side of the pier. On the south side, at IB Boulevard, Descanso and Boca Rio.
The gnarliest locals at IB are the 1.5 million people living in Tijuana, who make regular deposits of their various wastes into the Tijuana River.
Pollution is the 30 million gallon gorilla in the room at IB and you ignore it at your own peril. At Malibu and Doheny and Santa Cruz and other parts of California, beach closure signs are generally ignored. You can’t do that around IB, because the pollution is at a whole other level from the rest of California: hepatitis, maybe even cholera, who knows.
Check out www.wildcoast.net for up to date information on beach closures.
You can call the IB Lifeguards at 619.423.8328.
The Tijuana River plume tracker is online at: http://sdcoos.ucsd.edu/data/particles/IB/
The IB ocean conditions site is at:
http://sdcoos.ucsd.edu/ibpier/
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