i have had epic days at the popoyo rivermouth in nicaragua, witches rock in costa rica, avellanas in costa rica, morro rock, sandspit, and many other beachbreaks all over california. but i have never seen a beach with 3 miles of perfect peaks all a-framing and barreling OTHER THAN OCEAN BEACH, sf.
maybe there are other beaches like this, but i have never seen it. and OB offers such a variety of waves... from long walled-up waves resembling pointbreaks, to top to bottom barrels that blow your mind. OB has it all... and miles of it when it's on. i am interested to hear what your favorite beachbreaks are and how they work. enlighten me
Gnarlyiest beach break paddle on the west coast.its powerful, rips up and down the coast north south.unpredictable.never ending sets..Relentless..balls to the walls.ocean on roids!
My thoughts exactly on this place. I once spent about an hour trying to get to the outside on a fair sized day and was subjected to relentless waves. I eventually had to give up as the sun went down. Only time this ever happened in 15 years of wave riding.
i've been out at ocean beach a bunch of times in double overhead plus conditions, and have never been ripped out to sea. definitely get ripped up and down the beach depending on the tide... but never ripped out. as for cold... summer is the coldest due to upwelling. sometimes on a cold winter day with strong offshore it does get pretty damn chilly... but the power of the wave gets the adrenaline pumping, so i don't really mind it.
watched a video of south straddle... man made wave... short barrel with very little shoulder. can't handle much size. ocean beach handles more size, throws bigger barrels, and has way longer and more rippable soulders. come to san francisco and learn the truth for yourself. but be warned, its a very difficult paddle, so bring a camera just in case you end up sitting on the beach all day. only for the strong!
If that perfect id hate to see it on a shit day.. Best beach break on earth my ass.. South straddie in aussie is way cleaner and more stable.. Too many close outs to be considered perfect.. tho where spoilt for waves here so i guess we cant compare.
yesss indeed... there are many beaches named "ocean beach," but only one true beach worthy of the name... which would be OCEAN BEACH, SF... and you can see why. btw, this footage was shot from the sand dunes at kircham street. peace
yes its very powerful. on this day, i got out without getting my hair wet. usually it takes 10-15 minutes and a lot of waves on the head. sometimes i never get out... it just depends.
I went to OB a long time ago during a huge swell. I don't remember how long ago , but it was the same day the Huntington Beach pier got thrashed.
It was the craziest ocean I have ever seen. The inside waves were breaking 8-10 feet. When a set came, it didn't come in like a normal set. Huge peaks started breaking randomly all the way to the horizon.Some were breaking 200-300 yards and some breaking a mile out.
@JRCKFSH Your obviously talking about Ocean Beach San Diego.. In this video i dont see a crazy ass pier or the north jetty there for its North Ocean Beach!! SF
Tray dog I was at OB on Jan. 17, 1988 it was the same day the End Cafe on the HB pier was destroyed. I remember reading about the pier being destroyed in the paper. I googled HB pier and found out the exact date.
where is point reyes? is it a beachbreak? i'm always ready to charge a new spot... especially if its as good as ou say it is. have you seen all the waves in north county santa cruz going off?
Looked like so many guys got caught inside. I've surfed OB on a smaller day and it still feels twice as big as anywhere else. It's a heavy beach break that should be respected and left to the locals who surf it daily. Pass when it's that big!
i bodyboard... 42.5 inch sponge. my buddy charges a 7 6 on double overhead days... all the way down to a 6 0 on overhead days. the peak is usually makeable... except every once in a while it gets too racy and you have to pulll into these massive barrels right off to drop. easy to pull in, but hard to pull out. but usually its easy to get on a big face and rip the shoulder for 50 years or more.
thanks for the comment. i have surfed witches rock in perfect 8-10 ft. (face) conditions. it is a perfect barrel that screams down the line. i have not surfed blacks, but the videos of it look fun. the reason i say ocean beach is the best beach break on the planet is b/c, unlike witch's and blacks (which only have 4 or 5 quality peaks), ocean beach has over 3 miles of perfect peaks when its on (which is quite often on mid-long period west swells).
also, ocean beach walls up way longer than witch's and black's... and it breaks into a channel so it never closes out (like black's). personally, i love all waves... and would surf blacks and witch's anyday. but having surfed ocean beach (sf) over 50 times in the past 2 years, it is definitely the cleanest and most rippable beachbreak i have ever seen. go charge it for a winter and see for yourself.
ya... the paddle can be tough, but its well worth it. once you get past the shorebreak, the sandbar organizes the wave into well-defined channels and makes it easier to navigate. the scariest thing tho is when a big set (15 ft) closes out the channel and you get pounded. check your balls and your ego on the beach! peace
ya... you gotta earn it at OB... like last week when it was 15 foot bombs for a week straight. i got out twice, and got rejected once. the lane is pretty lame when it's under 10 foot... but the bigger days clears out the posers and it does get pretty insane out there.
personally i bodyboard, but my buddy charges a 6' 3'' on smaller days. it really depends on the swell and what the wave is doing. it can be super fast and hollow... and then it can be more walled up. hope that helps
oh nice... are you from out of town? if so, i'll should give you a breakdown of the beach and your different options depending on the size, shape, and tide. lemme know!
Yeah David, it was an awesome winter. I mean, I literally lost track of all the offshore surfable doh days!! my kind of winter.
A lot of people were complaining about the size and westerly swell tracks but I just say bring it onnnnnn!! Also heard it was the best winter since '94...woah!!
for sure... i had so many good sessions! 2 in particular... on consecutive days in january. the first at 3mile... it was 12-14 foot, with 200 yard rights breaking down the line. i didn't see one wave close out... and that wave is kinda slow, so we were getting some tandem rides for like 30 seconds. then the following day i mentioned at OB where i didn't get my hair wet. that was similar to this day on video... but 2 feet bigger.
ya dude! what a day. my friend told me the day before he was pulling into 15 foot stand-up barrels. bummed i missed it, but i must say that this day was amazing. even more amazing was a day in january... it was a monday... probably 12-15 foot sets on the outside... clean and offshore... and i didn't even get my hair wet paddling out. my friend was 15 feet to my left, and get caught inside for 10 minutes.
This video captures why OB is such a tough place to surf. Heavy close outs with shifting peaks, and row after row of white water for those stuck inside.
if you watch the video, you will notice that almost every wave A frames and peels into the channel. as for those stuck inside, ocean beach separates the men from the boys. if you can't handle the power, then go to linda mar.
Forget watching the video, I surfed it that day, and just about every other day that week, and last week, and the previous week, and the previous year, etc. etc. etc. Just saying it's a heavy spot, so I think we're in agreement.
dude... there just weren't that many guys out. i was out at kircham... and there were 8 guys spread out at like 5 peaks. maybe because it was so cold?! i dunno.
I've surfed both South Straddie on the gold coast and OB SF, had amazing days at both but neither are the best beach breaks in the world.
JacobMatan 2 months ago
i have had epic days at the popoyo rivermouth in nicaragua, witches rock in costa rica, avellanas in costa rica, morro rock, sandspit, and many other beachbreaks all over california. but i have never seen a beach with 3 miles of perfect peaks all a-framing and barreling OTHER THAN OCEAN BEACH, sf.
davidcharleswermuth 2 months ago
maybe there are other beaches like this, but i have never seen it. and OB offers such a variety of waves... from long walled-up waves resembling pointbreaks, to top to bottom barrels that blow your mind. OB has it all... and miles of it when it's on. i am interested to hear what your favorite beachbreaks are and how they work. enlighten me
davidcharleswermuth 2 months ago
love it! makes santa cruz seem like a vacation
davidcharleswermuth 3 months ago
Gnarlyiest beach break paddle on the west coast.its powerful, rips up and down the coast north south.unpredictable.never ending sets..Relentless..balls to the walls.ocean on roids!
cw11ncal 3 months ago 2
oh ya. havent taken too much of a beating yet this year, but i know its coming
davidcharleswermuth 3 months ago
@cw11ncal
My thoughts exactly on this place. I once spent about an hour trying to get to the outside on a fair sized day and was subjected to relentless waves. I eventually had to give up as the sun went down. Only time this ever happened in 15 years of wave riding.
654654321321 3 months ago
i've been out at ocean beach a bunch of times in double overhead plus conditions, and have never been ripped out to sea. definitely get ripped up and down the beach depending on the tide... but never ripped out. as for cold... summer is the coldest due to upwelling. sometimes on a cold winter day with strong offshore it does get pretty damn chilly... but the power of the wave gets the adrenaline pumping, so i don't really mind it.
davidcharleswermuth 3 months ago
OB is a great spot in late October when Santa Ana's blow. Later it gets very cold and BIG. Cauldron like rips going out to sea for miles.
clarkewi 3 months ago
watched a video of south straddle... man made wave... short barrel with very little shoulder. can't handle much size. ocean beach handles more size, throws bigger barrels, and has way longer and more rippable soulders. come to san francisco and learn the truth for yourself. but be warned, its a very difficult paddle, so bring a camera just in case you end up sitting on the beach all day. only for the strong!
davidcharleswermuth 3 months ago
If that perfect id hate to see it on a shit day.. Best beach break on earth my ass.. South straddie in aussie is way cleaner and more stable.. Too many close outs to be considered perfect.. tho where spoilt for waves here so i guess we cant compare.
SudoJudo1 3 months ago
Nice post. Guys getting their ass's handed to them that day. Charging, nonetheless...
havanasand007 4 months ago
thats when you just ditch, fuck trying to duckdive that
mohosmojo912 4 months ago
Nah...lived and surfed both...they both rule...OohhhBeeeeee...
USA1749NY2SFnSD2Fork 4 months ago
yesss indeed... there are many beaches named "ocean beach," but only one true beach worthy of the name... which would be OCEAN BEACH, SF... and you can see why. btw, this footage was shot from the sand dunes at kircham street. peace
davidcharleswermuth 4 months ago
Keep in mind there are two towns named Ocean Beach in California. The other is in San Diego. Locals call it OB. A nice place to visit and shop.
imjustpassinthru 4 months ago
Comment removed
imjustpassinthru 4 months ago
I hate when I get out there easily but then the waves gets crazy big and i cant get in.
ShmooyShmoo 5 months ago
ya... but usually if its big, i take at least a few bombs on the head getting out
davidcharleswermuth 5 months ago
Such a bitch of a paddle out (and in).
clarkewi 6 months ago
How hard is it to duck dive under waves this big? Is it considerably harder then a 5-6 foot wave?
peckawoodd 6 months ago
yes its very powerful. on this day, i got out without getting my hair wet. usually it takes 10-15 minutes and a lot of waves on the head. sometimes i never get out... it just depends.
davidcharleswermuth 6 months ago
This is one of the best vids i've seen of OB.
I went to OB a long time ago during a huge swell. I don't remember how long ago , but it was the same day the Huntington Beach pier got thrashed.
It was the craziest ocean I have ever seen. The inside waves were breaking 8-10 feet. When a set came, it didn't come in like a normal set. Huge peaks started breaking randomly all the way to the horizon.Some were breaking 200-300 yards and some breaking a mile out.
Never seen anything like it
JRCKFSH 6 months ago
@JRCKFSH Your obviously talking about Ocean Beach San Diego.. In this video i dont see a crazy ass pier or the north jetty there for its North Ocean Beach!! SF
TravMan3211 4 months ago
@TravMan3211
Tray dog I was at OB on Jan. 17, 1988 it was the same day the End Cafe on the HB pier was destroyed. I remember reading about the pier being destroyed in the paper. I googled HB pier and found out the exact date.
Yes i was talking about SF OB
JRCKFSH 4 months ago
The next time you think it's going off , drive to point reyes and check out South Beach..
The best waves I have seen in California.
JRCKFSH 6 months ago
where is point reyes? is it a beachbreak? i'm always ready to charge a new spot... especially if its as good as ou say it is. have you seen all the waves in north county santa cruz going off?
davidcharleswermuth 6 months ago
@ are you being sarcastic? Everyone in the bay knows where pt reyes is.
Hardly anyone surfs there because it's too gnarly. It's mostly a spot just to watch. It would be perfect for tow surfing.
I have been hiking there 10 times and one of those times the waves were perfect. the best I have ever seen.
JRCKFSH 6 months ago
Looked like so many guys got caught inside. I've surfed OB on a smaller day and it still feels twice as big as anywhere else. It's a heavy beach break that should be respected and left to the locals who surf it daily. Pass when it's that big!
SDBossofBosses 7 months ago
i bodyboard... 42.5 inch sponge. my buddy charges a 7 6 on double overhead days... all the way down to a 6 0 on overhead days. the peak is usually makeable... except every once in a while it gets too racy and you have to pulll into these massive barrels right off to drop. easy to pull in, but hard to pull out. but usually its easy to get on a big face and rip the shoulder for 50 years or more.
davidcharleswermuth 7 months ago
wouldnt say thats the best beach break on the planet. blacks and witches rock can both throw up perfect tubes and thats right off the top of my head
k311y5m1th 7 months ago
thanks for the comment. i have surfed witches rock in perfect 8-10 ft. (face) conditions. it is a perfect barrel that screams down the line. i have not surfed blacks, but the videos of it look fun. the reason i say ocean beach is the best beach break on the planet is b/c, unlike witch's and blacks (which only have 4 or 5 quality peaks), ocean beach has over 3 miles of perfect peaks when its on (which is quite often on mid-long period west swells).
davidcharleswermuth 7 months ago
also, ocean beach walls up way longer than witch's and black's... and it breaks into a channel so it never closes out (like black's). personally, i love all waves... and would surf blacks and witch's anyday. but having surfed ocean beach (sf) over 50 times in the past 2 years, it is definitely the cleanest and most rippable beachbreak i have ever seen. go charge it for a winter and see for yourself.
davidcharleswermuth 7 months ago
makes my arms burn just looking at it...
MrNvona 8 months ago
ya... the paddle can be tough, but its well worth it. once you get past the shorebreak, the sandbar organizes the wave into well-defined channels and makes it easier to navigate. the scariest thing tho is when a big set (15 ft) closes out the channel and you get pounded. check your balls and your ego on the beach! peace
davidcharleswermuth 7 months ago
@davidcharleswermuth
I know... I lived in SF for 10 years and surfed many a winter there. Just brings back memories...
MrNvona 7 months ago
better in ny
enjoiskater1893 8 months ago
i'd have to see it to believe it! send me a link. 50 degree water is cold enough for me!
davidcharleswermuth 7 months ago
@enjoiskater1893 No way. OB is massive. Sloat is where the Mavericks surfers go to get in shape. Has to be seen to be believed. And its cold.
clarkewi 6 months ago
ya... you gotta earn it at OB... like last week when it was 15 foot bombs for a week straight. i got out twice, and got rejected once. the lane is pretty lame when it's under 10 foot... but the bigger days clears out the posers and it does get pretty insane out there.
davidcharleswermuth 1 year ago
personally i bodyboard, but my buddy charges a 6' 3'' on smaller days. it really depends on the swell and what the wave is doing. it can be super fast and hollow... and then it can be more walled up. hope that helps
davidcharleswermuth 1 year ago
Ocean Beach is not a place for posers like in Steamer Lane
bahamasroy 1 year ago
Terriers!
JACKOTACO 1 year ago
incredible...going there in a week!!!
surfsd97 1 year ago
oh nice... are you from out of town? if so, i'll should give you a breakdown of the beach and your different options depending on the size, shape, and tide. lemme know!
davidcharleswermuth 1 year ago
@davidcharleswermuth yea im from san diego looking forward to going there ive heard lots of good stuff about it
surfsd97 1 year ago
Yeah David, it was an awesome winter. I mean, I literally lost track of all the offshore surfable doh days!! my kind of winter.
A lot of people were complaining about the size and westerly swell tracks but I just say bring it onnnnnn!! Also heard it was the best winter since '94...woah!!
sf4151 1 year ago
for sure... i had so many good sessions! 2 in particular... on consecutive days in january. the first at 3mile... it was 12-14 foot, with 200 yard rights breaking down the line. i didn't see one wave close out... and that wave is kinda slow, so we were getting some tandem rides for like 30 seconds. then the following day i mentioned at OB where i didn't get my hair wet. that was similar to this day on video... but 2 feet bigger.
davidcharleswermuth 1 year ago
thats me going left at 4:12, It was absolutely hucking that day...of course, wed was bigger :)
Oh yeah, ob separates the men from the boys...
sf4151 1 year ago
ya dude! what a day. my friend told me the day before he was pulling into 15 foot stand-up barrels. bummed i missed it, but i must say that this day was amazing. even more amazing was a day in january... it was a monday... probably 12-15 foot sets on the outside... clean and offshore... and i didn't even get my hair wet paddling out. my friend was 15 feet to my left, and get caught inside for 10 minutes.
davidcharleswermuth 1 year ago
the NPA rule is definitely in effect at ocean beach
davidcharleswermuth 2 years ago
This video captures why OB is such a tough place to surf. Heavy close outs with shifting peaks, and row after row of white water for those stuck inside.
adambsf 2 years ago
if you watch the video, you will notice that almost every wave A frames and peels into the channel. as for those stuck inside, ocean beach separates the men from the boys. if you can't handle the power, then go to linda mar.
davidcharleswermuth 2 years ago
Forget watching the video, I surfed it that day, and just about every other day that week, and last week, and the previous week, and the previous year, etc. etc. etc. Just saying it's a heavy spot, so I think we're in agreement.
adambsf 2 years ago
cool man... just making sure. big west swelll friday
davidcharleswermuth 2 years ago
Thanks for posting. I think this was one of the best days I've seen at OB in a long time.
marks943 2 years ago
if only it was 70 degrees and sunny. but the waves were insanely perfect and totally rideable. did you surf it?
davidcharleswermuth 2 years ago
Yeah, at Lincoln twice - first at around 11am and again at dusk. What a great day!
marks943 2 years ago
great shots of ocean beach! i wish there was more footage of guys riding, but what an epic day.
maxigarika 2 years ago
dude... there just weren't that many guys out. i was out at kircham... and there were 8 guys spread out at like 5 peaks. maybe because it was so cold?! i dunno.
davidcharleswermuth 2 years ago