Huntington Beach.

About

Huntington Beach sits on the elbow of the Orange County coast between Long Beach and Newport, with the 564-metre concrete pier at Main Street as the spot’s centre of gravity. Open-coast beach break, sand bottom, with peaks on either side of the pier — the northside picks up north-west wrap, the southside leans on south and west swells. The strip of sand carries the trademarked “Surf City USA” and hosts the US Open of Surfing every summer, the largest surf contest in the world.

Picks up swell from south through north-west, with the standout day being west to north-west at 12 seconds and up. Catalina Island, roughly 40 kilometres offshore, refracts and diffracts the deeper swells onto the bank, which is why the spot is so consistent year-round. Best on mid to low tide — high tide flattens the bank and produces the trench that gave the world the “Huntington Hop.” Light north-east Santa Anas are offshore; the prevailing southerly seabreeze fills in by mid-morning and blows it out.

Crowded every day the swell is up. Pier locals own the southside, especially during contest week each summer when half the lineup is roped off for the US Open. The peaks just off the pilings reward whoever paddles hardest; beginners scatter up the beach toward the softer outside bars. Watch for rips around the pier itself and for the sheer volume of bodies — a busy summer afternoon puts hundreds in the water at once.