|
Spot: Steamer Lane, CA
36°57′07″N, 122°01′30″W
The Waves
Steamer Lane divides into several surf spots: The Point is off that finger pointing out to sea, a long performance wave with a big rock section just off the point. Extremely competitive when it’s good, but one of the better-surfed waves in California.
The Point breaks into a section called The Slot, which passes in front of the cove and the stairs. This is where Santa Cruz aerial surfing has been worked on over the decades, going back to Kevin Reed in the 70s.
Out to sea, Middle Peak is a big wave with a short right and a meaty, barreling wave that many generations of surfers have used as a preparation for Hawaii. When the surf gets big, Middle Peak moves out to Second Reef and even Third Reef. These waves are reserved for the bravest of the brave paddling big guns, or sometimes towing in.
Middle Peak breaks and then backs off into The Indicator, which can be a powerful, lined-up right wall breaking down to Cowell’s Beach – which is one of the best beginner spots in the world.
Best Swell, Size and Direction
Although Steamer Lane is known as a winter-swell spot, it loves a big south swell with enough oomph to make it all the way up to the land of ice and snow. The Point is best on south swells and it can become a very challenging wave when it’s eight foot plus.
Generally, Steamer Lane likes west and northwest swells and will make sense of anything from two feet to 20 feet. The bottom is rocky and there is a lot of kelp so very low tides can become impassable. When the tide is too high the cove fills with water and there is a lot of backwash and the swell doesn’t fell the reef right. So generally medium tide coming up is best.
Steamer Lane is protected from the northwest onshore winds which blow from spring to fall, so it stays glassy when just around the corner is Victory at Sea. During the winter, storms are often followed by strong offshore winds which turn the Lane into fantasy land.
Surrounding Spots
To the north of Steamer Lane there is a cornucopia of reefs and points up to Natural Bridges. To the south of Steamer Lane, Cowells is a great beginner beach on the inside of the point. Off to the east, Pleasure Point is its own world.
Difficulty Level
Steamer Lane is generally intermediate to advanced, because of the rocks and the cliffs and the power of the waves. Beginners will survive the very small days, but beginners should be at Cowell’s, really.
Localism Factor
High: “On a scale of 1 to 10,” wrote Dan Bollwinkel of the Santa Cruz Sentinel. “1 being friendly, the localism factor at the Lane is an 11.” Some of the locals at Steamer Lane are trying to maintain order, others are just dickheads. This is a very visible spot in an increasingly overpopulated town. There is a population of very good surfers who have their own hierarchy and pecking order, and they have to deal with an ever-changing flow of UCSC kids, valleys and other visitors. This is not the friendliest surf spot in the world, especially on good swells, weekends and holidays.
Related Media Links
|
