Morro Bay / California / United States

Also known as The Rock, this is a very consistent break that suits all abilities of surfer. It is generally best in the fall, but can get a bit bigger and heavier in the winter if you prefer that instead.

The beach is quite big and sandy, with rocky cliffs at the south end. It is a popular location with the weekend crowd and rapidly fills up at this time, but during the week it's much quieter and you'll have plenty of room.

This spot is best when the wind is coming from the south-east, east or north-east and the swell is coming from the north-west, west, south-west or south. It works on a falling tide, at the law mid tide position, and on the biggest days it will start working at less than 1 m and hold up to about 5 m, though it's usually around a 3 m maximum.  It is a beach break, both right and left, and during the winter the waves are hollow and powerful while in fall and spring they are just fun and bordering on mushy. Length can be long in winter at up to 300 m, but again in fall and spring you are probably only looking at about 50 m.

Lifeguards patrol this beach, and there is a big parking lot on the sand at the top of the cliffs. The town of Morro Bay is just behind the beach, and as it is a popular tourist destination it has a few choices for entertainment, restaurants and places to stay.

As usual, pay attention to any shark warnings as sightings are frequent during the winter months. Currents can also be strong in winter, so be prepared.