Classic SoCal beach break with sandbars on both sides of the pier. Punchy, shifty peaks. Crowded lineup.
ParkingStreet parking on Ocean Blvd and the side streets off Garnet and Grand. Go early. Pay lots near Garnet Ave.
Paddle outSand entry north or south of the pier. Stay off the pilings. Pick a peak at least 50 yards from the pier and use the rip next to the sandbar to get out.
North PB beach break with a little reef influence. Usually better shape and less hectic than the pier. Grass park on the bluff is a good spot to check it.
ParkingFree street parking on Law St and Luna Ave next to the park.
Paddle outTake the path down from the park and paddle straight out front. Clean sand entry, nothing in the way.
Reef break in a residential pocket between PB and La Jolla. Needs a decent swell. Breaks over rock with kelp on the outside. Tight local lineup.
ParkingResidential street parking around Bird Rock Ave.
Paddle outStairs at the end of Bird Rock Ave put you on big rocks. Pick your way across, slide in between sets, then settle in for a long paddle through the kelp to the outside. No sand option here. Low tide exposes more rock.
Heavy, shallow left slab over sharp reef. Short, intense barrels when it's on. Best around mid tide. Core local crew.
ParkingThe break sits at the foot of Palomar Ave. Street parking on Palomar, Neptune Pl, and the surrounding streets.
Paddle outRock ledge entry at the foot of Palomar. Time the sets and slip off in a lull. The easier call is to enter on the Windansea sand a few hundred yards north and paddle south to the peak.
Iconic, powerful reef peak with the famous palm shack on the beach. Fast, punchy walls over shallow rock and it handles size. Established lineup.
ParkingTiny 16 space lot on Neptune Pl between Nautilus and Bonair, almost always full. Plan on residential street parking off Neptune.
Paddle outTake the staircase or the rocks down by the shack and enter from the sand just south of the shack. That's the most direct line to the peak. Heavy shore break right at the waterline, so wait for a lull and commit. Watch the inside rocks if you come off your board.
Reef break just north of Marine Street off Whale View Point. Wedging peak that bowls into a hollow inside section over shallow reef. Gets extra heavy at low tide and can break in a couple feet of water. Mid tide on the push is best.
ParkingStreet parking along Coast Blvd S at Whale View Point.
Paddle outCleanest entry is from the Marine Street sand. Paddle a few hundred yards north up to the peak. You can go straight off the Whale View Point rocks in a lull but it's all ledge, so most guys take the sand.
Left breaking reef off Hospital Point, the northernmost of La Jolla's reefs. Swell and tide sensitive, breaks over shallow reef and usually needs 3 to 5 feet to turn on. Sea lions all over nearby.
ParkingStreet parking along Coast Blvd by Children's Pool. Fills with tourists by mid morning and some spots are time limited.
Paddle outTake the staircase below Cuvier Park by the gazebo down to the small sand pocket. Higher tide, paddle straight out from the sand. Lower tide, the flat reef shelf is exposed. Walk it out, pick your spot, and slide off between sets. It's shallow, so time it.
Gentle, sandy bottom rollers on a huge beach. Lifeguards and restrooms.
ParkingFree Kellogg Park lot off Camino del Oro. Fills by mid morning in summer. Overflow on Vallecitos and Avenida de la Playa.
Paddle outSand entry anywhere north of the boat launch. That's the surfing zone. Lifeguards flag the surfer and swimmer zones in summer, so glance at the signs by the tower before you paddle out.
San Diego's best beach break. A submarine canyon focuses swell into fast, powerful, hollow peaks. Nude section is north of the Gliderport trail and surfers head south.
ParkingFree dirt lot at Torrey Pines Gliderport, 2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Dr, with a steep cliff trail down. Skip the trail after rain. Other option is street parking on La Jolla Farms Rd, then walk the gated paved access road. Better footing, just don't block driveways.
Paddle outFrom the bottom of either trail, walk south along the sand to the main peaks. Sand bottom entry anywhere out front, but the canyon makes it punchy and the rips get strong when it's big. No facilities on the beach, so everything you bring goes down and back up the cliff with you.