Best Surf Spots in San Diego

San Diego is known for its great beaches and its year round surfable waves. If you are new to San Diego or just here on a visit, or maybe you have been here for a while but would like to try out a new surf spot, here are four (out of many) of the best surfing spots throughout San Diego County.

Swami’s Beach
Swami Beach is located in Encinitas, a surf town in San Diego’s North County that has a large community of both young and old surfers. This beach has one of the premier surf spots of San Diego with many people driving out of their way to catch a Swami Beach wave. This spot offers point break type waves with swells of 2 to 10+ feet from a W/NW direction which is great for long boards. The beach and the parking lot can get very crowded and you could be fighting for some play time, especially on high swell days and weekends, so definitely be prepared; but you will want to sacrifice dealing with the crowd in order to fit in these stellar waves.

Sunset Cliffs
Besides a gorgeous vista point to watch a picturesque sunset, Sunset Cliffs also offers one of the best surfing locations in San Diego. Located just south of Ocean Beach, this surfing spot is known to deliver perfect waves especially in Fall and Winter when the NW swell and the area’s famous reefs are in perfect harmony. The swell size ranges from 3 – 10+ feet, but has conditions that are good for both intermediate and experienced riders. Though, there are times, especially during low tide, when the reefs can pose a serious danger, so this should be taken into account before you visit.

Black’s Beach
Only the experienced surfers should venture the hike down the La Jolla cliffs to Blacks Beach because this location produces some of the finest, yet strongest, world class, beach break waves. Arguably, these are some of the best in all of Southern California with swells of anywhere up to 15+ feet. If you are going to test your experience here at Black’s Beach, be ready for the about 15 minute trek down and back up the very steep, and sometimes rocky, hill. Also, make sure you check the local surf report before you head out, because if you aren’t a pro, there are times when you might want to consider just sitting back and enjoying Black’s extreme surfing as a spectator.

Mission Beach & South Mission Jetty
Right near the famous Mission Beach Boardwalk is the South Mission Jetty which is famous for its left break with almost perfectly steep walls. Swells are only 3 – 6 feet on average but their quality is good with a W/NW direction. One of the biggest downfalls to this location is the heavy crowds, but if you go in the off season (Spring and Fall in particular), you should be able to catch some good waves. You can also enjoy the fun San Diego rentals available for your recreation and entertainment if the crowds are not to your liking.

Conclusion
This is definitely a short list of surf spots, but these spots by far produce some of the top waves San Diego has to offer. But don’t take my word for it; try them out and make up your opinion on your own, because finding the perfect surfing spot is a personal quest that only you can discover for yourself.