Beginner Surf Spots + Instructors in LA area?

[nooshie]

Hello!

Wondering if anyone has any recommendations for beginner surf spots in the LA area? I'll be staying at Venice Beach for 5 days so will check that out but also want to explore some other areas that are beginner friendly. I've only surfed beach breaks with sandy bottoms (and a few rocks at Bolinas) and am wondering if the spots with reef bottom/rocks are just a bad idea for me or if they would be doable with an instructor?

Here are a few I was thinking about based on research and checking out some old posts:
Sunset
Bolsa Chica
Huntington Beach
Doheny State Beach

Any recommendations for instructors also super welcome! I always feel more comfortable at a spot after getting a local's perspective!

I plan to rent a fun board or longboard for the week and am seeking mellow waves.

Thanks!

[Ratfinksurfer]

I live pretty close to where you're staying and I usually surf El Porto simply because it's the closest and tends to be the biggest. Is El Porto for beginners? Not so much, but that certainly doesn't stop the surf schools or the beginners! But when it's small, Porto is perfect for beginners. Of all the spots you mentioned, I've only been to Huntington. Huntington is pretty far from Venice and it's crowded, pretty good waves though obv. Sunset has parking on PCH and it breaks right in front of the rocks (never surfed it, only watched others. Not a top of the list beginner spot imo.) Bolsa and Doheny could be viable options, I have no opinion.
I would recommend Seal Beach. It's not crowded and tends to be pretty friendly. Not many people go there, it's mostly families in the summer. I've heard Zuma is an excellent beach to learn how to surf. Never been but I'd like to go someday, it's just a lot further away. This website is a good start. http://www.onewavesurf.com/2015/12/best ... eles-area/

[RinkyDink]

Wondering if anyone has any recommendations for beginner surf spots in the LA area? I'll be staying at Venice Beach for 5 days so will check that out but also want to explore some other areas that are beginner friendly. I've only surfed beach breaks with sandy bottoms (and a few rocks at Bolinas) and am wondering if the spots with reef bottom/rocks are just a bad idea for me or if they would be doable with an instructor?

Here are a few I was thinking about based on research and checking out some old posts:
Sunset
Bolsa Chica
Huntington Beach
Doheny State Beach

I think you have a good list. I haven't surfed down in SoCal in a really long time so I don't really know what it's like these days. I'd add San Onofre to your list. Personally, I'd pick the spot you find the most scenic and spend time there. You might also want to pick a spot with a pier in eyeshot. When I restarted surfing I spent most of my time at a break with a pier. I usually didn't surf next to the pier because I didn't want to get in the way of the uppity locals there, but I could always see the pier. What I found helpful is that I could use the side of the pier to map out my landmarks. I knew on some days that the impact zone was right underneath the concession stand on top of the pier. That really helped me find my takeoff spot for different sessions. I would watch the surf when I arrived, line up the impact zone with a landmark on the pier, and then know the optimum place to sit in the lineup. The pier also helps give you a sense of the tide because it's easier to see the water level along the pylons of the pier. I could also see the flags around the pier so I could tell what direction the wind was coming from (onshore or offshore) and how strong it was. You can find landmarks without a pier, but a pier makes it easier. You also have the advantage of having landmarks directly in front of you on the shore as well as obvious ones along the pier that allow you to map out features in the surf (two sides of a grid: the pier and the shore). Good luck.

[thatsincentive]

Hey!
I'm a beginner surfer staying in LA. I surfed doheny today, and Venice beach actually. Well muscle beach.
But doheny is really good, just be careful of the tide, I surfed 2 hours from low tide and you were riding over two feet or less of rocks. If you kept going inside. Idk what high tide is like.
I just flopped over the back of the wave where it was deeper and got back on my board. I have a gash on my foot from San Onofre so the rocks are a real bummer to walk on.

[nooshie]

Thanks for the all the tips! Sounds like Doheny is a good bet. Having a pier nearby also sounds super helpful--great tip! RinkyDink I love your tip about finding a scenic area--are there any particular beaches on my list that are the most scenic? Zuma looks pretty! I was worried it might not be very beginner friendly but I've seen that there are a few surf schools and what not in that area so seems like there will be some beginner waves out there.

I want to at least go SEE Malibu but I know the crowd is going to be bananas! Leo Carillo looks pretty nice so thinking of checking that out--close to Zuma so could do both in the same day.

Thatincentive, I saw your other post about LA spots that are sheltered--I will be keeping an eye on that!

[steveylang]

Here's a great guide to Malibu beaches-
https://californiathroughmylens.com/ten ... bu-beaches

[RinkyDink]

Thanks for the all the tips! Sounds like Doheny is a good bet. Having a pier nearby also sounds super helpful--great tip! RinkyDink I love your tip about finding a scenic area--are there any particular beaches on my list that are the most scenic? Zuma looks pretty! I was worried it might not be very beginner friendly but I've seen that there are a few surf schools and what not in that area so seems like there will be some beginner waves out there.

I want to at least go SEE Malibu but I know the crowd is going to be bananas! Leo Carillo looks pretty nice so thinking of checking that out--close to Zuma so could do both in the same day.

Thatincentive, I saw your other post about LA spots that are sheltered--I will be keeping an eye on that!

I don't know the beaches in LA well at all. I know Orange County and Santa Barbara. Another great beginner beach you want to consider is Mondos (if I were a beginner again, that's where I'd want to learn). Doheny is a great spot too. That's where I started as a kid. As far as the beauty of the beach is concerned, I think the Santa Barbara and San Clemente areas are the nicest. I would seriously check out Mondos if you're close to Santa Barbara.

(Kelly Slater lists Mondos as one of his favorite waves.) Unfortunately, this video makes it look like a SUP rider orgy so you'll have to take that into consideration.

[nooshie]

Ohh! Mondos looks excellent (besides the SUP rider orgy lol)! I am adding it to my list! And thanks for the link to the Malibu beaches guide! So many great spots on there... I am hoping the locals will be friendly... friendlyish?

[thatsincentive]

Oh yeah I guess Doheny is in OC my mistake.
Tips if you go there-
If you go there, try to go during high tide when the rock bottom isn't a factor.
Also if you enter and exit at the ricermouth it's a lot easier, just mind the shore dump.
I surfed down by the river mouth where there's less crowds and a pleasant atmosphere. Waves there were pretty good this morning. Just wrapped up my surf trip and it was the best spot for me as a newbie probably.
Have fun.

[steveylang]

Ohh! Mondos looks excellent (besides the SUP rider orgy lol)! I am adding it to my list! And thanks for the link to the Malibu beaches guide! So many great spots on there... I am hoping the locals will be friendly... friendlyish?

People in Malibu are almost always fine, I've never run into rude homeowners trying to chase me off the beach, etc. I think you just have some passive-aggressive types who put up those illegal/inaccurate signs.

[billie_morini]

nooshie,
please be advised, Huntington Beach and Leo Carillo are not beginner spots. At minimum, you'll get in the way. At maximum, you will get injured.

Stick with Doheny, some of Zuma, and some of Malibu. Some sections of Zuma are not beginner friendly. The "good" areas at Malibu have high concentrations of qualified surfers. You need to choose wisely.

Mondos is very nice for beginners. Recognize the distance between Venice Beach and Mondos is not short. Pay attention to regional traffic patterns or you'll turn a 1 to 1.5 hr drive into a 4 to 5 hr drive.

[nooshie]

nooshie,
please be advised, Huntington Beach and Leo Carillo are not beginner spots. At minimum, you'll get in the way. At maximum, you will get injured.

Stick with Doheny, some of Zuma, and some of Malibu. Some sections of Zuma are not beginner friendly. The "good" areas at Malibu have high concentrations of qualified surfers. You need to choose wisely.

Mondos is very nice for beginners. Recognize the distance between Venice Beach and Mondos is not short. Pay attention to regional traffic patterns or you'll turn a 1 to 1.5 hr drive into a 4 to 5 hr drive.

Thanks for the tips. I'll steer clear of Huntington and Leo Carillo. Definitely planning to make a day trip up to Mondos. Looks like a beautiful area. Are there particular sections of Malibu that you would recommend to a beginner? Malibu area is ideal since it's close to Venice Beach!

[steveylang]

As long as surf is not too big, Zuma and Broad Beach are not bad spots to try out. They're not great surf spots, but there's a lot of room so you'll never need to worry about other surfers in the water. Broad Beach is a just a really nice beach as well, but the sand gets covered at high tide. There's an iPhone app called 'Our Malibu Beaches' that you should download, there might be an Android version but I'm not sure.

Malibusurfcoach.com is good for lessons, the couple of instructors they have are really nice and beginner-friendly. There is an outfit called Malibu Makos (https://www.malibumakos.com) that teaches group lessons at Zuma, I have no experience with them but their group lesson rate might be cheaper.

[billie_morini]

nooshie,
Malibu notes: You can try First-Point if it is not filled with experienced surfers. There are three breaking points at Malibu: 1) First-Point is known for its long, even breaking wave–perfect for longboarders, 2) Second Point is a bit unruly with bigger waves, and 3) Third Point, located further out, has the biggest break. Needless to say, shortboarders usually stick with Second and Third points, especially on crowded days. The entire little town of Malibu, the (lack of) parking, building density, and population density combine to make me a little crazy there. I'll only stop by to look when traveling by automobile for work.

Mondos notes: Mondo's is an extremely friendly place. There are all kinds of people in the water there and nearly everyone is happy. There is no sign that says "Mondos." So, sometimes people are not sure they've arrived there or pulled into one of the other nearby breaks. Use these coordinates to be sure: 34.321477; -119.375006.

C Street Notes: if you are driving north through Ventura to go to Mondos, then you owe it to yourself to visit "C Street" Surfers Park in Ventura. You'll find ample parking near the fair grounds. You'll probably get a charge out of seeing an actual City park designated for surfing that is a couple of miles long. Look closely at the conditions, you may find some waves you want to surf here. This large surging break usually offers something for everyone. Even if you don't surf it, you've got to see it.

[Ratfinksurfer]

Sunset has parking on PCH and it breaks right in front of the rocks (never surfed it, only watched others. Not a top of the list beginner spot imo.)

I'd like to amend this incorrect comment I made. Sunset is actually a pretty great spot for beginner surfers. I went there for the first time myself this weekend and it's pretty fun. If you want a point break, most of the more experienced surfers are up near Gladstones. But if you go down closer to the wooden staircase there's a very mellow beach break. I highly recommend surfing Sunset and apologize for the previously incorrect post.

[nooshie]

Thanks again everyone! I have a great list. I am especially excited to take my nephew to Mondos and we'll definitely try to make time for C Street! My trip is next week so I'll report back soon!

[nooshie]

Hey guys! Just wanted to circle back and post my thoughts about the various spots I checked out. I was with family so didn’t get to go to all of the places on my list but here’s my report:

Venice Beach: to me, this seemed like a pretty typical beach break. I had trouble reading the sandbars and there were a lot of close outs. Crowd was friendly though and not too bad. I caught a few waves here. Surfed here twice bc it was close to the place we stayed at.

Mondos: this was my absolute favorite break. I spent the day here and just loved it. Thank you again for the recommendation! I caught so many waves and was able to practice all of my basics all day. The wave here breaks so nicely for a beginner. I went here on a pretty small day. Waves were about 2 feet. Would love to surf this when it’s slightly bigger and I’m a little better. The crowd was also so friendly. Everyone was just super nice and mellow. Mix of families, teens, beginners, and more advanced long boarders. I even pushed my nephew into a dozen waves on my longboard and he just loved it! I also liked that there were enough little peaks that the crowd was pretty evenly dispersed.

Doheny: I went here on a Saturday so that wasn’t a smart thing to do lol. The crowd was insane. I usually surf in the Rockaways with a crowd but this was bananas. I think during the week it would be less crazy. That said, the wave was super nice. I caught a few really excellent waves and had some very nice rides. One of the older guys on a longboard even told me I had nice moves lol! Crowd was very friendly but there was definitely a lot of dropping in (teenager boy dropped in on me and then didn’t make the wave lol). No one really seemed to care tho and it was fine by me because I expected it. The only issue is that I’m not 100% with my steering so it made me a little nervous to be around so many surfers all paddling for the same wave. I had a few waves spoiled by a dad and a baby floating on a surfboard right in front of the lineup but I was prepared for that sort of thing so didn’t mind. I did cut my feet on the rocks getting out of water a few times. Nothing too bad but did hurt for a few days.

I hope to make it back to Mondos again one day! Would love to do a surf trip to the Ventura area. A little more relaxed than the LA and OC beaches

[billie_morini]

nooshie,
thank you for providing a happy & thorough report. It is and will be helpful to many surfers.

It' wonderful to know you had some fantastic experiences. I'm especially pleased to know Mondos was so good for you. One strong memory I have about Mondos is watching a grandpa teaching his teenage niece to surf. It's so pleasant that I stop there for a breather nearly every time I'm north bound from Ventura to Santa Barbara. Yes, you'll enjoy it more with larger waves. Yes, it's a good place to develop skills. It reminds me a little bit like San Onofre in northern San Diego county.