Carlsbad to Point Loma: San Diego's Underrated Surf Spots (and How to Find Them)

surfriding is a notoriously baffling play to learn , and dealing with big bunch and hopped - up locals does n’t make stand up any easy . Luckily for San Diegans , with a little attempt , you could almost always find a mellow breakers smudge that is n’t overrun with 12 - year - one-time surfriding prodigies and semi - professionals without day jobs . Here ’s a handful of beach that do n’t get the deferred payment – or the crowd – that they deserve .

Terramar

CarlsbadHow to get there : Park on Carlsbad Blvd near Cerezo Dr or in the surround neighborhood , and keep abreast the staircase north of Cerezo down to the beach .

Terramar is home to a mellow wave , making it a popular longboarding spot . It ’s not infest by hot - headed locals , so it ’s a honorable blank space for beginners to go without the fear of getting chewed out . There ’s also a courteous transmission channel to paddle out into , so it ’s easy to get into the lineup compared to the surrounding beach happy chance .

Ponto

South CarlsbadHow to get there : Ponto is part of South Carlsbad State Beach , so there ’s a paid parking plenty northerly of the intersection at La Costa Ave and Carlsbad Blvd . Free street parking is available on the southbound main road lane or in the dirt parking lots along Avenida Encinas .

Ponto is a beach break . It is n’t as neat as other surf spots in the surrounding surface area , but that does n’t stand for it is n’t just as good or ripe . It systematically has decent surf and lots of waves . Plus , more paddling means sexier arms ! The beach has bathrooms and lots of parking in the surface area , so it ’s just as good a spot to spend the day as it is to surf for a few hr .

George’s

Cardiff - by - the - SeaHow to get there : The break is just in the south of the dealings light at Las Olas Mexican restaurant ; parking is useable on the Pacific Coast Highway .

George ’s really does n’t get the love it deserves among North County surfboarder . There ’s hardly ever a crowd , since most people be given to congregate north at Cardiff Reef or any of the breaks near Pipes . The surf does have its fair portion of closeouts , and it is n’t exactly beginner - friendly , but it ’s by all odds a post to control out when you desire some purdah .

8th Street

Del MarHow to get there : cut through the railroad line tracks is illegal , and we do not , could not , and would notcondone lawbreakingof any kind . That being say , surfers by and large park in the region around 8th Street and guide west , crossing the tracks , and find one of the trails guide down the four flush . It ’s a little hairy get down , so carry on with caution .

When the surf is large , 8th Street holds it really nicely and is a importantly less - herd choice to 15th Street . It ’s at the bottom of a eminent bluff , so it ’s a bit of a trek , but the view alone is worth the risk of infection . If you want to make your out - of - town friend jealous , Snapchat them from the top of said bluff .

Tourmaline/Old Man’s

North Pacific BeachHow to get there : Head west on Tourmaline St off La Jolla Blvd until you off the parking lot , and you ’re there .

Tourmaline is a beginner rupture that has a small bit of a reef . It ’s easy to incur and access , which also means there is often a crowd . The surfboarder here are n’t as aggressive as they are at New Break , or " Nubes , " to the Confederate States of America , which makes for a much more pleasant card . Tourmaline is another great spot to spend the day , thanks to the welcome front of bathrooms .

Pescadero (aka Pesky)

Ocean BeachHow to get there : manoeuver south on Cable St until it end ( past where it intersects with Orchard Ave ) . There ’s a gravy holder launching , and that ’s where you paddle out . You ’re relegated to street parking .

Pescadero is one of the few place in the summer that still gets surf . It ’s ordinarily not super crowd together , although part of the understanding is because unassailable rip flow and the exposed reef make it a little more severe than most suspension .

Garbage, Sunset Cliffs

Point LomaHow to get there : Park in the lot at Ladera St and Cornish Dr and accompany the raddled path down the cliff , which follows the drain pipe . There is a roach that helps people down the steep four flush , so make the walk carefully . There ’s also a stairway northwards of the parking lot , but that ’s way less fun than rappelling via the roofy .

Garbage is perhaps the toughest topographic point on here to get to , but it ’s also one of the most scenic . It ’s slenderly protect by the kelp beds , so wind is n’t a major issue , and a nice groove make for an soft paddle - out . It ’s not that great on smaller days when there ’s some swell – it draws a crowd quickly . As for the name ? Very misleading , unless you numerate the hippie trash all over the bluffs .

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man surfing, surf board, surfing in the ocean

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Ellen Wrightis a freelancer at Thrillist who grow up surfing North County and hates a paddle battle as much as the next guy . twinge her the beach she missed:@PacificPolished .

Terramar Cliffs, San Diego surfing