Chapter 18 "Surf"

Sally Fields as Giget

Much like Hawaii in chapter 18 the coast of Los Angeles is full of great surfing spots. With over 72 miles of coastline there are allot of spots to choose from. Moving from the North to the South we will explore the best surfing spots in L.A. County.

Countyline

Staircase

In the northwest section of L.A.County where it meets with Ventura is a place called Countyline. There is a point break along with a beachbreak. The waves line up on a west and southwest swell and breaks best on a medium tide. Across the street is Neptune's Net, which has greasy seafood and good clam chowder. For some reason people who ride motorcycles love this place and they can be found there by the hundreds in summer time.







Just south of countyline is a place surfers call Staircase. This is a beach and reef break that gets its name from the steep winding path one takes from the dirt parking lot just off PCH.

Leo Carrillo

Leo Carrillo "Secos," is next in line. This pointbreak works well with a south, southwest, and west swell , the best tides for surfing are Mid to High. Only one take off spot and gets crowded in the summer with long boarders.









A beach kinda hidden away just off PCH called Nicholas Canyon (Aka Zero's in Surf lingo) is our next stop. The surf spot is a left hander, meaning when one is looking at the wave from the beach it breaks from left to right.

Zuma

Zuma, where the Valley goes when the temperatures hit the triple digits. There is plenty of parking and a huge beach that stretches a for miles. Be careful when the waves are big because the rip tides are vicious, plenty of rescues are done by lifeguards when novices run into the water and get swept out to sea. Zuma could mean one or two things in the Chumash language, the first would be "Four Winds," and second is "Abundance."

Looking at Little Dume

Just pass Zuma is Point Dume, there are two spots to surf called Big Dume and Little Dume. Both break off points from right to left and are really fun when it's big. When a hurricane hits the window off of Baja is the best time to go. Before going out watch the break because it gets a little dangerous on a lower tide because of the shallowness and the huge rocks that protrude out of the water and under the break.

Latigo

Latigo Canyon is a mellow right point break that can get pretty good with the right swell direction. Park on the PCH. Access is a little tricky due to the fact that Latigo Shore Drive is private.

Malibu on a Big Day

What some would call the premier surf spot and most iconic surfing beach in Southern California is Malibu. This wave breaks from left to right off of three different points, 1st point is primarily for long borders, 2nd is where one surfs when the crowds are two large at the 3rd point, and 3rd is the best spot to surf and on a large day and the waves occasional connect from 3rds all the way through 1st. Water can be dirty after a storm and it is best to stay away because the lagoon dumps right out into the line-up. 







Topanga is a really crowded spot  and their is allot of free parking along with a parking lot where you will pay $5 to park. Across the street is the Reel Inn where you can get fresh seafood. The menu prices have gone up in recent
years and the price for beer is $4 and the average plate is somewhere around $16. 

Sunset

Where Sunset Boulevard ends and gets its name is ironically enough the spot called Sunset. Sunset is right off of PCH and the traffic speeds by as if there was no beach there at all. It is a great place for beginners and if one wants to learn to surf this would be the place. 

Redondo Beach

After Sunset are the urban beaches of Santa Monica, Venice, El Segundo, Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo Beach. These are all beach breaks and can get good from time to time. This is where you go to ride bikes, roller blade, and one can often hear a college girl from Loyola randomly yelling, "Whooooo!"














Haggerty's,  this is a performance wave. Take your longboards over to the cove. Probably the best-shaped wave in the PV area, Haggerty's takes all north and west swells from 3 to 15 feet and grooms them into a classic left point/reef with three takeoff zones. Lower Haggerty's, Hags, and Upper Haggerty's make up the takeoff spots and this place is always crowded and full of hazards, which include slippery trails, silly locals from Torrance and the rich in PV, car vandalism, and the local PVE police often side with their boys that live in the area. This place is for advanced surfers only and can get pretty dangerous, not only with the mobs of disgruntle surf punks from the South Bay, the wave when it is big can teach a newcomer the lesson of respect.

Lunada Bay

Moving south around the PV peninsula are the spots known as the Cove and Lunada Bay. Lunda Bay can hold 20 ft waves or larger and is the premier big wave spot in L.A. County, although if you bring a surfboard prepare yourself to be accosted by some rich kid and there is a good possibility that their father who rapes the less fortunate at his day job of being a banker or some type of lawyer for a chemical company in Long Beach or better yet lives on his inheritance will do the same thing. The locals at Lunda Bay live sheltered lives and don't really know what a bad guy really is, although eventually they will meet one and that will be that. The locales are complete knuckle-heads and in the 90's even a T.V. news crew was harassed and assaulted. Other hazard include getting pushed into the rocks by the severe rip tide, slash tires, locals throwing rocks, and of-course drowning.         













We will end our journey at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. This is more of a family beach and less for surfing, although it is a good place to splash around and paddle out on a sponge board for a beginner if the waves are small. Also being so close to the Harbor tends to lead to dirty, dirty, water.











Sources:


Surfline
http://www.surfline.com/home/index.cfm


L.A. Times