Surfing Waves

I am in the midst of setting up a road trip out west this summer, 2 or 3 months. I'll be in the Big Sur area (kirk creek) after some time in Joshua Tree and Sequia national parks. I was born in Long beach but raised in the midwest, this will be my first time back to california! I would like to learn to surf on this trip. Seems intimidating finding a spot that won't get me killed or be packed with surfers (this will be toward the end of june). Found a top 10 and thought Cowell in santa cruz might be a good choice (with a nearby state park to stay in to boot), but youtubed it and this was the top hit:

I cracked up because I'll be one of those idiots no doubt but it does look way too busy. I was wondering if anyone could recommend other beaches to learn on close to or anywhere north of big sur? Would it be a mistake to just rent a board instead of a lesson? Smaller towns/cities nearby would be a plus as I'll be towing a popup trailer. thanks for any advice!

Big Sur is really incredible, I had my first trip up there last summer and really loved it. I don't know about the surfing spots up there, but Cowell's looks like a safe bet. Don't let the idea of crowds deter you, I really didn't like the idea of crowds at first but I actually am fine with them now (though I still usually avoid the weekends as it really can get a bit overcrowded on occasions)

I would probably recommend a lesson to start out with, though its definitely possibly just to read and watch plenty of youtube videos and get started. I found a person that looked reputable on craigslist, and had my first lesson last summer in Long Beach actually, and I think I paid like $70 for a ~2 hour lesson. If your going to be starting on a crowded beach, a soft top board (such as an 8ft wavestorm) could probably be bought used for around $100 on craigslist, and would be safer for yourself and those around you. It looked like most of the people in that video had soft top boards.

Sounds like an amazing trip! Joshua Tree, the Sequoias, and Big Sur are all awesome places, and people come from all across the world to see them.

I would agree with gd6.
Don't stress about crowds just yet. If you are starting out then there is safety in numbers, plus where there are crowds of beginners it usually means there is a surf school so you can sign up and start learning. Crowds only get really annoying once you are out on your own but still not quite good enough to get out the back. Once you're out on the green waes then most of the newbies are still inshore in the white water and don't really bother you.

Enjoy your trip and I hope you end up loving surfing as much as everyone else on this forum does.

Learned on Cowells, had a blast. Seemed like a perfect place to learn until the tide went down, so unfortunately only an hour or so of actual surfing (it was okay, my shoulders were toast by then anyway). Girlfriend got a few pics of my first waves for me.

I'm in the process of moving to San Luis Obispo - can anyone recommend a newb friendly beach I could pick up again at? Just don't want to step on any locals' toes as I'm still learning basic etiquette. Also, I didn't pay attention to the size of the board I rented - I'd like to buy my own, where do I start? How about the 8' recommended above? Thanks

Hey all,
I made it to SLO and am looking to get a board and get back out there... I was leaning towards just a foam board like what I learned on... Cosco sells an 8' wavestorm for $180. But, I've been staying in Pismo beach, and the waves break much closer to the beach. 99% of the surfers I've seen are using short boards. Seems like they are pretty much surfing waves that have already broken / white water (still learning the terminology). What would be the best to continue improving on?

I dont know Pismo Beach at all, but (a) buy the board that suits you, not what everyone else is surfing and (b) I doubt people on shortboards are surfing the white water, because thats almost impossible on a shortboard. So probably the waves are spilling waves ie the top of the wave slowly spills down the face, so there is white water on the wave but the actual wave itself hasnt totally broken.

Anyway, how often do you plan to surf? From all accounts the Wavestorm is a pretty good board for what it is, which is a learners board. After about, say, 40 - 50 hours of surfing on it (give or take, assuming you are starting from pretty much a beginner) you will start seeing its limitations - harder to turn, not great for bigger waves etc. But if you are only planning to surf twice a month on a few weekends and just want to have a bit of fun now and then, then it will be fine as a board for a year or so or maybe longer. If you are surfing somewhere very crowded, then again its probably a good board to get while you figure out how to handle yourself and the board in crowded conditions (and its much less stressful in crowds with a softboard)

Long term, however, you will definitely want a 'proper' board, and its highly recommended to get one now instead of a softboard now and buying the proper board later on, unless you are surfing somewhere particularly crowded and want the safety of a softboard. It is no harder to learn on a proper board than on a softboard (in fact, I reckon its easier because proper boards sit in and hold onto the waves, softboards tend to float across the top and be less stable). Really the only difference is that you have to pay more attention to where the board is and whether its going to hit you or someone else (skills you have to learn anyway). On the other hand, a proper board can be used in a wider variety of conditions and has infinite ability to progress - its a board you can use for years if you want to.

In terms of size, I'm not sure of your weight and that is an important factor. But usually somewhere in the 8-9ft range is recommended - lower end if you are under 160lb or thereabouts, and higher end if above that weight. But we can give you some more detailed advice if you are willing to post your vital statistics (well, just your weight and height)

Thanks man. I guess what I meant is the waves seem to crest and then immediately break, but lets be serious I have no idea what I'm talking about . I was more concerned there was a reason for the shorter boards, ie a longer board would be inappropriate for these beaches.

I'm 5'11 about 170 lbs. I see myself out there on the weekends and the odd weekday - something I'd like to stick with but not obsessing about. You were right in that I'd like to pick something I can learn on and continue to progress a little bit without needing an upgrade...

Found an 8' funboard with wetsuit for $150 http://slo.craigslist.org/spo/4666481999.html . Don't know if the repairs should keep me away.

mhk87 wrote: I guess what I meant is the waves seem to crest and then immediately break, but lets be serious I have no idea what I'm talking about

mhk87 wrote: I was more concerned there was a reason for the shorter boards, ie a longer board would be inappropriate for these beaches.

Speaking in general terms, because I don't know the spot you're talking about, but, yes, some breaks will suit shortboards (typically, steep or fast-breaking waves) while others will suit longboards (fatter waves, and long and peeling). That's not to say they can't be ridden by the "wrong" board necessarily, just that the wave suits the board.
So if your wave is breaking very fast and near the beach, it's likely to "a shortboard wave". Those waves aren't great for learning on because you need to deal with everything in a split second and you'll often be surfing into shallow water
Can you find any slower-breaking spots? If everyone out there is on a shortboard and surfing the shoredump, the chances are its not a learner-friendly wave.

Oh, and yes, everything DTC said... a softboard is fine for your first few goes in the water, but after that you'll need a proper board.