California has over 800 miles of coastline on the Pacific Ocean and it’s got a strong surfing culture. My real first exposure to surfing was in Northern California where there are deep drops from the beaches, gnarly breaks, and powerful and stormy waves. It is also cold, very cold. Also a lot of marine life, like a rather mystical encounter with a seal at the beach for one.
I was surprised that the ocean in Central Coast is just as cold. It’s also much busier here than in Humboldt, though nothing compared to Southern California, which I’ve only seen in videos and it is mind-boggling. Once a year, watching the WSL competition gives a glimpse of what it once was, before the crowds.
It’s more polluted in SoCal, so many more oil rigs. There are also stingrays down south. To watch out for tar while walking on the beach at Jalama was a surprising bit of info Wade gave me. And then there was floating poop in Waikiki. So.
SoCal waters is where Wade cut his teeth so to speak. His body feels most at home in the waters of Hawai’i. And then there’s Australia.
For now, it’s Central Coast.
One of the many surf breaks here in Central Coast is at Pismo Beach, right by the pier.
Pismo Beach
Pismo Beach is one of the Five Cities in San Luis Obispo County in Central Coast, California. It is a popular destination throughout the year. Many people escape the oppressing heat of the valley by enjoying the cooler weather on the coast. June Gloom isn’t a deterrent. Then there’s May Gray, No-sky July, and Fogust. Low clouds and fog in the morning that may – or may not – burn off later on in the day.
Stretching through Pismo, Oceano, Grover, and Shell Beach, Pismo State Park offers 17 miles of sandy beaches and coastline. There are several surf breaks, due to the abundance of sandbars. If you’re visiting Pismo Beach, you’ll see lots of black dots near the pier, where it breaks left. All the wetsuits. All the black dots bopping in the water.
So we parked on one of the side streets near the long staircase down to the beach. It’s free parking here. I stayed in the car watching the whales, while Wade changed into his wetsuit, waxed his board, and headed out toward the pier. The whales were out there, a lot of them, breaching the surface, lots of tail action.
It was a warm afternoon and while I made my way to the pier barefoot, it got too hot without my sandals on the way back. There are stairs on the side leading up to the pier, which had a few vendors. I found a nice spot close to Wade. He was in the water with another surfer and I could see quite a number of surfers much further north of the pier. There wasn’t much of a swell happening, though. Still, I imagine something happens to a surfer’s body when they are in the ocean. Like their cells smile.
The Pier is said to be a good spot as it more or less breaks consistently. It’s easy to get to and can be beginner-friendly, probably more south of the pier. Try for mid-to-high tide. Just travelling through and want to give it a go? Pismo Beach has lots of board rentals and surf schools.
While researching surfing at Pismo Beach, I came across local surfer Dana McGregor. I’ve seen surfing dogs, like Skyler and others in Honolulu. Dana surfs with his goats.