Santa Monica Intel

[oakfish]

Headed to Santa Monica next week for a wedding and want to slip out a couple mornings to surf. I plan to bring my fish prone board and understand that it will be a zoo.
Any intel to make the most of it? I'm staying close to the Santa Monica pier and I've heard that the pier and Bay street are good places to try. Any thoughts on these areas? More importantly, any intel on tides to target? I'm coming from the east coast and mostly want to cross another surf break off my list. What are the best times, tides, and locations to score a couple decent waves with minimal crowds?
Thanks!

[finbox]

Hi,
I looks like you will score- we are in for a good south swell. check surfline or https://wavecast.com/socal/ have a detailed forecast. So head high + Mon & Tuesday. A quick drive north is Malibu - a great south swell spot, you can experience the LA Crowd. With that swell in the water it should be easy to find waves. I used to surf Topanga canyon back in the day, I no long live near by. Others can give better up to date info.

[surfcowboy]

If you're in SaMo those spots are probably workable but you can never tell with sand. If you want a sure thing on a South hit Topanga as was said. The point is competitive but the cove area is mellower. Works on anything but a mid tide 2'-3' is best.

Sunset (by Gladstone's) is a soft longboard wave that's closer to Santa Monica. You could ride a fish at the point there. Dies above 3' but doable any other swell.

If you can drive to Malibu Pier, do it just to do it.

Weekends are busy but you'll be surprised at how chill weekdays can be. Enjoy, this is the best time of the year.

[Hdip]

That's Venice but it's all similar. Bay st to Venice breakwater. Just walk out whoever you are and pull into closeouts.

Don't bother with Topanga or Malibu unless you like crowds. Contest at first point tomorrow.

[oakfish]

This is really helpful!
I won't have a car, so I'm pretty locked into breaks walkable from the pier area.
I will also miss the big swell....not surfing until Friday and Saturday. Plan to surf both mornings, but unfortunately, looks like dead low tide in the morning. Is that tide still surfable in Santa Monica?

[laszlo]

If you have to walk from the pier, you are basically limited to Bay St. which is about a quarter mile south. That might be OK though, because it is a beach break with room to spread out that won't be too crowded. Certainly nothing like Malibu or Topanga. Right around the pier, and to the north, there is no surf. I don't know if the lifeguards are still flying the meatball (black dot flag) during weekdays anymore. When that flag is up it means no surfing. Usually flies during the day on crowded beach days, not mornings or evenings.

[laszlo]

Sunset (by Gladstone's) is a soft longboard wave that's closer to Santa Monica. You could ride a fish at the point there. Dies above 3' but doable any other swell.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. Sunset is a mushy, soft wave for sure, but it can get really fun when it gets some size. I SUS there regularly all winter and when it gets big it is still very user friendly and not scary. I have even been denied there on really big days, when paddling out on a SUP is virtually impossible. A prone board that can be duck dived, or even going turtle, is a different story.

[laszlo]

Here is a shot of Sunset on a good south swell.

[Hdip]

Sunset (by Gladstone's) is a soft longboard wave that's closer to Santa Monica. You could ride a fish at the point there. Dies above 3' but doable any other swell.

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

I believe he meant to say 3' tide. It's more of a low tide spot.

But yeah, just walk South of the Pier until you see a corner you want to surf. It's all beach break.

[surfcowboy]

Yeah, tide, not swell. I rode Sunset on the Marie swell. Def over 3' lol