Hi Guys,  I lucked out with an expense paid trip to Los Angeles this week.  I'm staying in West Hollywood and it looks like the closest beach is Santa Monica. By looking at the map I'm guessing Malibu is the closest good wave.  Can anyone help me interpret the forecast for Wed through Fri of this week and help point me in the right direction for a good spot.  I'll need to rent a car and a board from somewhere as well.  Brought my wetsuit! Is it worth trekking down to lower Tresles? It's on my bucket list to surf it but can't tell from the forecast if it will be good enough to drive all the way there.  Thanks! 

-------------------------

Jesus invented surfing...
Matthew 14:22-33

www.facebook.com/churchonthebeach

Go Dodgers!

-------------------------
"Don't count the days, make the days count." -Ali
#rydyrstrong

You've lucked out and have few options since there will be S swell in the water.First you have Santa Monica beach that will be ridable but it's not the best wave.Next you have El Porto in manhatten beach maybe 30-45 mins south that will be even better and handles combo swells better.Or from Santa Monica you can ride N up the PCH their A1A and ride up to Malibu for a S swell .Trestles is gonna be 2 hrs south but def worth it and would recommend uppers ,half the kooks but worth every cent as it's a world class wave!Have fun and let me know if u need directions 

-------------------------

Learn to read a buoy and check your winds and tides!!!

I've lived in the area (palms/culver city) for the past 2 years.  El Porto looks like it might be fun for friday when the WNW swell starts to fill in.  County line, about 30 minutes up PCH (25 minutes past malibu) will most likely be your best bet on this smaller S swell in the meantime as its the most consistent S swell spot around.  Malibu might be worthwhile if you're more of the logging type of guy but expect heavy crowds.  I dont bother with Malibu anymore unless its 6-8+.  Zuma/westward beach is probably my favorite spot around besides point dume, which only breaks when its huge, but Zuma can be fickle.  It needs a combo swell which might actually pan out Friday if you want to risk it and not go for the guarantee (El Porto).  Wannasurf has good directions on how to find any of the main spots around here.  I can PM you my cell if you have any questions.  I'd offer to meet up for a surf but I'm stuck working M-F.

Don't bother with Santa Monica or Venice.  The waves tend be half the size of the other spots around and full of kooks.  The general rule of thumb is El Porto for WNW/NW swell due to a deep water canyon that amplifys the swell energy and PCH northbound from Santa Monica for S swell.  The further up PCH you go the better the S swell gets picked up and the bigger the surf will be.  That's key on these 2-3 ft swells, at least if you shortboard.

^^^^^ On Point I lived in the South Bay couple years !! 

-------------------------

Learn to read a buoy and check your winds and tides!!!

Trestles forecast actually looks decent too and if theres ever a time to surf there with less crowds it's a weekday.  I'd go for it if it's on your bucket list, although it is a bit of a drive. 

Huntington pier's forecast looks pretty fun too and a good bit less of a drive than trestles.  Sometimes picks up more swell than N LA on these smaller ones.

Just got back from there, many good places to surf.....Venice Beach had a good wave throughout the entire beach, San Onofre was one of the best waves I ever rode on. Old Mans or Tresltles...there are so many places to surf there. If you can pick up the book Surfing California

This is great info you guys,  thank you! Yeah if someone has a good map/directions to some breaks that should be working I'd love to get a PM.  I'm assuming I can hit just about any surf shop and rent a short board? I brought my 2/2 full suit.  Do you think that's enough? It s a newer hurley phantom (I think?),  the higher end one that's supposed to be warmer like a 3/2. 

-------------------------

Jesus invented surfing...
Matthew 14:22-33

www.facebook.com/churchonthebeach

Bring a 3/2 if you go into Malibu or higher it will get even colder.Theres plenty of surfshops in Santa Monica 

-------------------------

Learn to read a buoy and check your winds and tides!!!

2/2 should be fine this time of year unless you get cold easy.  This is about as warm as it gets besides El Nino years.

If you missed it then you didn't make the most of it... Go Dodgers!

-------------------------
"Don't count the days, make the days count." -Ali
#rydyrstrong

I really liked Malibu way up around the point where all the shortboarders are, crowded yes but you can get your share. Or wake up early 4 AM'ish drive to Trestles and take it all in, the walk, the views, the cobblestones rolling around (you can hear them when you duckdive, pretty cool) the numerous peaks from Middles, Barb wires down to Cottons. El Porto is also an OK spot (parking can be an issue sometimes).

Lowers was VERY fun but intense due to crowds on it at first light, sitting in traffic after session is not too bad, relax and take in the scenery, sip some coffee and slow roll back home.

Again set your alarm for 4AM and go whereever you want, wake up later and join the traffic jams

 

If you are beat from surfing, drive down to Venice and rent a bike and ride the sidewalk up to Sanata Barbara a fun non-surf activity to soak in the freaks, skaters, and odd people.

North of Malibu is "seikos" or some wierd name but it is in Leo Carillo state park and a super fun log wave that breaks right off a rock kind of like jobos in PR.

wasnt too crowded when i surfed but which was good because the take off was about a three foot zone in front of or next to a giant rock

-------------------------
I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life

For food try

.

Gilbert's 9526 Pico Blvd Santa Monica

.

Great authentic Mex, CASH only (ATM onsite), many other amazing places to eat but my friend always wants to go here, she is a long time resident of the South Bay so I follow her lead. 

Thanks guys for all of the input!  I really appreciate it.  Ended up renting a cool 5'8 Super from ZJ's Boardhouse in Santa Monica and hitting El Porto and County Line (north of Malibu) day one.  Was just OK and cold.  Hit the road by 5:30 the next morning and made the 1 1/2 hr drive to Trestles.  Uppers was perfect chest to head high with light offshores and a light crowd!  Crowd was good until 9 am or so then it got heavier.  It was what I hoped it would be and the locals were super friendly which was cool too.  I will say this, as fun as that was there is no place like home!  I'll take my 5 min walk to the beach, warm water, and empty breaks all day!  Thanks again, love you guys  

 

 

-------------------------

Jesus invented surfing...
Matthew 14:22-33

www.facebook.com/churchonthebeach