⚠️ Surf at your own risk. Conditions, crowds and hazards change daily — know your limits, check the forecast, and respect the surfer-only / swimmer-only zones near the pier.
The Jetty (Big Jetty)
Intermediate–Advanced · Hollow right-hand beach break
A powerful, often-hollow right off the southern rock jetty at the very north tip of OB. Throws heavy, tubular waves on a solid W/NW winter swell.
Find it: From the Dog Beach lot, walk north along the sand past the off-leash area to the big rock jetty.
Dog Beach / Rivermouth
Beginner · Mellow shifting sandbar
A soft, forgiving sandbar where the San Diego River meets the ocean — ideal for beginners, longboarders, and foamies.
Find it: Right in front of leash-free Dog Beach; use the Voltaire St lot and walk straight out (you may share the lineup with a swimming dog or two).
Avalanche
Intermediate · A-frame reef/sand break
A consistent A-frame with a reliable, clean left plus shorter rights; handles a range of tides and swells. A crowded local favorite.
Find it: A few blocks south of Dog Beach near Saratoga or Brighton Ave, or park by the Santa Monica Ave lifeguard tower and walk a block north.
The Pier (North Side)
All levels, with care · Shifting beach-break peaks
The heart of the OB surf scene — reliable lefts and rights over sandbars shaped by the pier. On bigger days a strong rip runs beside the pier. Mind the surfer-only / swimmer-only zones.
Find it: At the foot of Newport Ave; the lot at the base of the pier fills fast on weekends.
South Pier / Cliffs Transition
Advanced · Reef-and-sand left
The zone just south of the pier toward the cliffs — a semi-consistent setup that mostly breaks left, with a tight right that sections to the pier on the right swell.
Find it: Just south of the Newport Ave lot; walk down from the pier or street-park along Narragansett or Del Monte Ave.
Garbage
Intermediate–Advanced · Walled right-hand reef
Widely considered the premier wave on the Cliffs (named for an old 1900s trash chute, not the quality). A long, powerful right that handles chest-high to double-overhead-plus.
Find it: North end of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park; park at Sunset Cliffs Blvd & Ladera St and take the steep Ladera stairs down the cliffside.
No Surf Beach (Newbreak)
Advanced only · Heavy offshore reef
Ironically named — a pocket beach hemmed by cliffs with a heavy reef just offshore. Hollow and powerful on solid winter swells, with a tricky paddle-out.
Find it: Sunset Cliffs Blvd between Hill St and Point Loma Ave; look for the small fenced overlook. No stairway — a careful scramble down the dirt cliffs.
Luscombs
Expert · big-wave · Big-wave left point/reef
A legendary, heavy left that only wakes up on large, deep winter swells, producing a sweeping classic big-wave left close to dangerous rock shelves.
Find it: Further south on Sunset Cliffs Blvd near Monaco or Osprey St; small dirt pull-outs, and a tricky climb down the rocks.
Sub (Submarines)
Intermediate · Rolling reef peak · longboard-friendly
The mellow one — a softer, rolling reef peak further offshore that breaks both left and right over a wide playing field.
Find it: South end of the Sunset Cliffs route near Ladera St (just south of Garbage); spot it by looking out beyond the inside breaks.