Driftwoods / California / United States

A little off the beaten path, this is nevertheless a good surfing spot for all abilities.  Depending on the swells, you can get a fun easy wave or a fast bigger wave - with the former it is a good place to learn, and with the latter it is a good place to practice.

The beach is fairly small, and is almost non-existent at high tide. As you'd guess with the name, it's often covered in driftwood but this means it doesn't attract sunbathers and the other people out here will be surfers – it is almost empty during the week, and might have a handful of people out at weekends.  The water around here is cool, ranging from 12 to 15° C in winter and 16 to 20° C in summer.

The swell works best at low or mid tide, and will start at less than 1m before holding up to a maximum of about 3m on a good day, though it’s usually a little less than that.  It is a point break, breaks only to the right, and is usually quite ordinary unless you are here on the best days when it can be fast and big.  Length is good, with 100m – 150m being the norm and 200m – 300m possible at times.

There aren't any facilities on the beach as it's a relatively remote spot, and even parking isn't straightforward.  Most people park in the lot of the hotel just down the road, and make the 10 min walk up to the beach from there. 

You can get the odd local here who has an attitude, but most are ok.  Watch out for the nearby pier, don’t get too close.