About Windansea Beach

Cobalt water speckled on the horizon where the kelp bed has stopped short of its urge to reach for the sky; shape-shifting peaks emerging and reacting with elemental choreography; the inside shorepound, arid sandstone ledges, rocky shoreline and the iconic shack at Windansea - this stretch of San Diego coast from PB Point to La Jolla Cove is peppered with reefs. In the early days, these reefs contributed more to California surfing than most any other length of the coast in the state. The peak at Windansea has been the main stage of the area since the 1930s.

Source: Windansea Beach Surf Guide

Ability Level

Intermediate - advanced

Beg Int Adv

Intermediate to advanced

Local Vibe

Intimidating

Welcoming Intimidating

Surly, competitive, one of the least friendly places in Southern California.

Crowd Factor

Heavy

Mellow Heavy

San Diego Zoo without the zoo-keeper, mobbed.

Spot Rating

Fun

Poor Perfect

Regional classic.

Shoulder Burn

Medium

Light Exhausting

A decent amount of work, especially when it is pumping.

Water Quality

Clean

Clean Dirty

Typically ok but gets dicey after a rain.

Additional Information

Hazards

Drop-ins, water fist-fights at Windansea, snaking around you at Big Rock, clean-up sets, and getting washed into the caves at The Cove.

Access

Parking right out front or on adjacent streets, if you can find an open spots when it's good.

Bring Your

Shortboard, fish, funboard, longboard, bodyboard

Seabed

Rock, sand, eelgrass

Best Season

January-December

Swell Consistency and Wind Overview

Photos & Videos