About San Luis Obispo County Surf Travel
San Luis Obispo County (or SLO), which is better recognized for its esteemed California Polytechnic State University than for its surf. Not a single pointbreak graces this bucolic, 85-mile stretch of coastline, though connoisseurs of fickle beachbreaks and quirky reefs might find SLO intriguing.
The Santa Lucia Mountains wrest the county in two, force-feeding its mild climate and summer fog. The humble tourist communities of Pismo Beach and Oceano don’t offer much in the way of perfection; rather, it’s a marathon of beachbreak after friggin’ beachbreak. It’s also one of the last places on the West Coast where you can still legally gun your dune buggy or four-wheel drive on the beach.
Above Pismo is a big knob of earth best known for the lovely Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, thus mainly off-limits to the surf-seeker with the exception of Montana de Oro State Park. Heading north on 101, you come to the junction for the world-famous Highway 1, a snaking ribbon of pavement rivaling Route 66 for its legend status and popular appeal.
After weaving through acres of oak-dotted, rolling hills, you’ll find more beachbreak in Morro Bay, rootsy Cayucos (home of freezing closeouts) and Cambria, where tourists and B and Bs rule the streets. However, a few secrets remain as far as surf spots go. Rocky inlets and mounds of slimy seals and sea lions are hallmarks of the shore surrounding pleasant Cambria north, as are bitter onshore winds and velvety-green marine terraces. In no time at all, Highway 1 fords the Monterey County line and mutates into frighteningly steep and narrow curves that characterize what we all know and love to be Big Sur. The countless coffee table books have certainly given the place a lot of publicity, but, thankfully, Big Sur’s tourist industry doesn’t surf. Granted, the ridable spots are few and far between and often accompanied with challenging access, but the novelty of surfing in such a revered landscape outweighs the quality of the surf. Slip on the neoprene (booties, vest and hood recommended), find your own quirky, boil-ridden peak and relish the fact that the nearest 7-Eleven is hours away.
Surf Crowds
All of the spots mentioned in this guide are popular and have a huge/miniscule/local/non-local crew surfing them on a regular basis, yet the coast is wide open above Morro Bay (not to mention the aforementioned mile after mile of beachbreak around Pismo), and scouting out your own peak on a glassy day usually isn’t a problem until you get into Big Sur. There, the spots are coveted like African diamonds, and although ridden regularly, you probably won’t find more than a handful of guys out, if that. Don’t be surprised if you run across the odd misanthrope or hostile local at somewhere like, say, Willow Creek. Guys live and surf in this area for a reason: they hate everything that is Los Angeles. If you show flashes of L.A., chances are you will be asked to l-e-a-v-e.
Surf Hazards
What you may have been told about the Central Coast’s great white shark population has probably been exaggerated, as usual, but they’re definitely out there. You’re generally safe in N. Santa Barbara County or lower San Luis Obispo (although two surfers were recently chased out of the water by a huge white shark at The Ranch), but once you start easing up into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which begins at San Simeon, the guttural barking of sea lions and elephant seals becomes much more prominent, and anybody with half a brain knows that the blubbery pinnipeds are the main course of any white shark’s buffet. Some surfer was supposedly rammed by an orca (killer whale) in Big Sur back in 1972, so that’s something to consider. Big Sur is also home to the California Sea Otter State Game Reserve, so, as you can see, the place is teeming with a healthy sea life populace — lots of animals, seaweed, rocks and cold, nutrient-rich saltwater. Sure, sharks have been sighted in the surf zone, but your chances of them showing any interest in you are extremely slim. Hypothermia, rocks and currents will probably give you more trouble than a shark ever would.
Best Surf Seasons in San Luis Obispo County
1) Fall
This is when you want to be here. Oily glass, long-interval west swells, neoprene-warming sunshine all day — yeah, it happens, usually in September and October. Orderly swells and ideal traveling weather couple to make the Central Coast a joyous grab bag for surfing, much like Europe this time of year. That’s not to say that Old Man Winter doesn’t step in occasionally, bestowing the shoreline with huge, wind-whipped storm surf and horizontal rain. Autumn is a transitional period, so you should expect the best and the worst. However, the tourist influx subsides dramatically after the Labor Day weekend, so fewer gawkers translates into more quality exploration room for you. All of the spots discussed here are primo during good autumn conditions, so you almost can’t go wrong by visiting in September or October. Just cross your fingers, and that glassy, emerald peak just off the highway could be all yours for a few hours.
2) Winter
Good for lower Santa Barbara County, but generally bad for the rest of the area. Persistent south winds, oversize northwest swells and driving rain conspire for lowly surfing conditions. You can always check Hazards, which is offshore during south winds, but other options for surf are basically nonexistent. A nice time of year for sipping coffee and cozying up by the fireplace with a good book. Highway 1 though Big Sur is periodically closed this time of year due to natural impediments like slides and slip outs. The sights and sounds of a gray, tumultuous ocean are impressive — the surfing, however, is not.
3) Summer
Generally flat and dismal, although this can be good for the beachbreaks north of Point Arguello, most of which are only surfable when they’re small and clean. The fog can hamper onshore breezes, but persistent wind in the outer waters often makes for junky conditions, despite calm air at the beach. South swells can work wonders at a few nooks to the north, including Cayucos, but the majority of Central Coast spots need a more westerly pulse to operate properly. Your best bet for finding good waves during the summer would be to head north toward Pismo and Morro Bay, where there’s just about always some kind of ridable surf. Up in southern Big Sur, San Carpoforo Creek and Sand Dollar Beach both suck in all kinds of small swell, so that’s another good option. Bring your fish and/or longboard if you’re visiting this time of year, but don’t rule out the possibility of a punchy south swell. Besides the microscopic surf, one real big bummer for summer around here is the tourists.
4) Spring
The worst. Way too much north-northwest wind during the spring, which means bad conditions and some of the most frigid water on the West Coast (it’s been known to dip into the high 40s). North of Pismo, Avila Beach can have something, but don’t get your hopes up. The area just north of Cayucos can be semi-offshore during north wind, and San Simeon Bay, although not really a surf spot, can prove valuable in times of true desperation. By far the best spot to check during north wind is Big Sur Rivermouth, aka Andrew Molera State Park; this place is offshore all spring, so there’s no doubt you’ll see other surfers here. Springtime weather and swell action can be a lot like autumn, meaning it can either be too big to ride, small and piddly, hot and sunny or cold and rainy. The blooming colors of spring are well worth a visit, however, and don’t be shocked if you end up spending considerable more time taking pictures of the scenery than surf.