Spots in and around Santa Cruz




The water in Santa Cruz is usually cold. I recomend wearing a full wetsuit and booties or fin socks. Gloves help too. In the summer you can get away with a spring suit, and maybe even trunks and a rash guard. But if you plan to stay out for a while, you should probably wear a full suit, though you probably won't need booties and gloves.

Pleasure point:

     Pleasure point is located in Capitola. To get there take the 41'st Avenue ekit on highway 1. Go down for awhile through a whole bunch of stoplights. You will pass O'neil's and Freeline, two cool surfshops, and will come to a four way stop right after you pass Freeline. I forget the name of this road, but you can't miss it. Anyway, turn right. Go through one stop sign, and look for a 7-11 on your left. Take a left on the road that's just pass the 7-11. If you've gone through another stop sign before turning, you've gone too far. Now, go straight on this road for a little while. You should be in a residential neighborhood, and be going over some really annoying speedbumps. At the end of this road, turn left, and look for a place to park before this new road turns into a one way street. To get down to the water you must climb down a cliff, but don't worry, there is a path, and even guy's with long boards can make it. This spot can get a little crowded on good days, but there are 3 or 4 different breaks, so you can still get some good waves if you want to paddle out a little farther. Plus, it's mostly old timers on their long boards, and they're usually really friendly. The wave is generally not very hollow, but sometimes it breaks really nice. You can usually get a long ride out of these waves, but there is not much power for doing tricks.
 

Steamers lane:

     Steamers is located in Santa Cruz. Go down town and head for Cliff drive. You all should know it, it goes along the edge of the cliff, hence the name. Keep going till you see the old light house that they've turned into a surfing museum. Park any where around there. There are two sets of stairs leading down to the bottom of the cliff. You will have to walk over these big boulders too. Be carefull, they are very slippery. The wave a Steamers is very powerful, and it wraps around the point. You must be very careful to not run into the cliff wall as the wave wraps around. Also, you must catch the wave pretty deep inside. If you paddle for it where you normally think you should, you won't catch it. This wave can get a little hollow some times, and is very good for doing tricks. There are some spongers who go there regularly, but it is mostly shortboarders. If you go out at low tide, be careful of the rocks. At low tide, it will be very shallow, and you can even stand up untill you get pretty far out there, just don't be stupid and you should be alright. I recomend going out in the mornings, especially on weekends. By 11:00 or 12:00, there are usually a lot of people out, and you will get less waves. If you can swing it, it's even better if you go on a weekday. This is probably the best spot around Santa Cruz, so there are usually some really good people out. But, if you don't piss people off, and you don't drop in on any one, you usually don't have anything to worry about.
 

26th street:
 
     26th street is in Capitola I think, and is very close to Pleasure point. Follow the same directions, but in the end make a right instead of a left. You will go for a while and then see a beach on your left, and a parking lot and slough on your right. This is a beach break, and a lot of the time, it isn't very good. But, once and a while it goes off. Sometimes even when every where else is flat. The wave can be pretty hollow on a big day. No barrels, but pretty steep. Being a beach break, the ride is fairly short, but it can have lot's of power for your tricks. If you get there on a week day, you might even be able to have the waves all to your self.
 

22nd street:

     22nd street is right down the road from 26th street suprisingly enough. It is usually a pretty small little beach break. It's good for beginners, but most other spongers wouldn't want to go out.
 

Cowel's:

     Cowel's is in downton Santa Cruz and is just to the right of the pier. This beach break is great for beginers, or for intermediats who want to practice their tricks on a smaller wave before getting pounded at Steamers or somewhere else. The wave is small and really easy to catch. You will have to put up with a whole bunch of people who are trying to learn how to surf on 9 foot sponge boards though. But then again, you could go out there and pull som phat DK moves, and impress the hell out of them! This spot is also good for beginers, because you can rent boards from cowel's surf shop at the top of the cliff.
 

Manresa:

    Manresa is located in La Selva about 5 to 10 minutes south of Santa Cruz. Take the Mar Monte exit on highway one. Go untill you get to a four way stop sign and turn left. I recomend that you pay the money to park in the state beach parking lot because there is a lot of theft going on around there. One time, some broke into my friend Dave's truck and stole his stereo and our shirts, pants, shoes, and socks! They stole our Socks! Can you believe it? We had to drive home in our wetsuits! Any way, the wave here is usually choppy, and the is always a huge rip tide, and some freaky currents going on. But every so often it can be really good here. It is a beach break, so the ride will be short, and there can be plenty of power. But make sure you hold on to your socks!
 

Rio Del Mar:

   Rio Del Mar is in Aptos I think, and is a little bit north of Manresa. Take the Rio Del Mar exit on the PCH, and follow the road. It will go up a hill, then down steeply. At the bottom, follow the U around and go left along the beach. This is another beach break, and is good for both beginers and intermediates. The wave is not too powerful and fairly easy to catch. Intermediates can practice their tricks on them, and beginers can practice catching them.
 

I might add some other spots from else where in California if I get enough feed back.



Back
This page hosted by Get your own Free Homepage
1