Murphys / California / United States

This might break only rarely, no more than a few days a year, but if it is going off you would be a fool to miss it. It is a fantastic wave that will challenge experienced surfers despite the fact that it doesn't get very big.

There isn't much of a beach here to be honest. There is a short strip of sand which rapidly turns to rocks and larger rocks, making entry and exit difficult. Because of this, and the fact that it rarely breaks, it's a pretty lonely spot to be.  Water temperatures are typical for Ventura, hovering around 14° C in winter and 17 or 18° C in summer.

Everything needs to come together before this place will work. The wind needs to be from the north-east and the swell from the west, the water at the low tide position and on a falling tide. It will start working at 1.5 m and reach a maximum of about 2.5 m. It is a point break, only to the right, but the waves are very powerful and hollow. Length is short and you won’t usually see more than about 50 m, though 100 m is possible occasionally.

There is a small parking lot just to the rear of the beach, but that's about all you get.  Luckily you are only about 10 minutes drive out of Oxnard, and this growing city is a popular tourist destination with plenty to offer surfers who want to use it as a base.

There are a lot of rocks here, both in the water and when you are getting in and out – you will need to climb down some boulders to enter.