Standup Zone Forum
General => Travel, Trips, Destinations => Topic started by: Long Beach Paddle Guy on February 09, 2016, 04:49:29 AM
-
Looking for any guidance on planning a boat trip into Hollister Ranch north of Santa Barbara. For any that aren't familiar, it's a private community with amazing surf breaks that can only be surfed if you own property there, are a member of the Santa Barbara Surf Club or know someone that lives there. Would appreciate any insight from anyone with knowledge of the breaks or advice on anything re: what it's like these days to surf there. I walked in on the train tracks and got a few waves many, many years ago as a kid right out of high school but no idea what is going on there now and if it's still as uncrowded as back then.
-
I walked in on the train tracks and got a few waves many, many years ago as a kid right out of high school but no idea what is going on there now and if it's still as uncrowded as back then.
Hold on to those memories as long as you can...;-)
Crowds have increased...there are many multi-generational surfing families there these days...so, even the lesser waves have crowd pressure on them...
It can also get very windy there...with only a couple of the spots being "SUP friendly"...
If you want it bad enough, you may be able to rationalize the time/money expenditure per wave...parcel ownership there never penciled out for me...so I pick my boating days...
Boating is always an adventure on the Gaviota Coast...;-)
It's a longer boat ride these days since the Gaviota Pier collapse, if you don't have a flato...from what I hear, it's not gonna get rebuilt any time soon ...
https://youtu.be/-BiVAE0zTuI
-
I had access for 10 years awhile back and surfed it probably 8 times a month. The boaters had to be careful especially the smaller boats. You want to have a handle on what the wind will be doing when you boat in as it could blow so hard that it's almost impossible to get back. Beaching is never a good option. If you go during a swell plan on a lot of people. SUP is still not accepted and especially at the A spots.
-
Damn, now you got me goin' about my favorite place.....
-
Wow, Hollister Ranch. There is a blast from the past. Back in the 70's, I and my surfing buddies in So-Cal used to dream and scheme of going to Hollister. It had this mystical quality about it - perfect uncrowded waves that were impossible to get to for all but the lucky few. There was always some report from somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody but that was about it for us. We never made it there. Good to know the allure of Hollister still exists.