Surfing the USA

Lower Trestles is the world standard for high-performance surfing—a cobblestone point break in San Clemente that produces perfect, rippable waves with mechanical consistency. The...

San Onofre is the birthplace of California surf culture—a mellow point break where surfers have gathered since the 1930s, establishing the beach-going, wave-riding lifestyle that...

Black's Beach is Southern California's power center—a world-class beach break where Scripps Canyon focuses and amplifies swell energy to produce some of the heaviest waves on the...

Windansea is La Jolla's historic heart—a reef break with an iconic palm-thatched surf shack that has served as the meeting point for San Diego's most committed surfers since the...

Steamer Lane is Northern California's premier point break—a world-class wave system with multiple sections that has served as the proving ground for generations of NorCal surfers....

Pleasure Point is Santa Cruz's mellow alternative—a long right-hand point with multiple peaks that provides a more approachable experience than intense Steamer Lane just up the...

Folly Beach Pier is South Carolina's surfing epicenter—the most recognized wave in a state that flies under the East Coast radar but delivers quality surf when conditions align....

The Washout earned its name from a section of road that eroded away years ago—and earned its reputation from the quality sandbars that formed in its wake. This local favorite sits...

Virginia Beach First Street has hosted the East Coast Surfing Championships since 1963, making it the longest-running surf contest in the country and a landmark in American...

Croatan Beach is where Virginia Beach locals go when they want waves without the resort-area crowds—a more exposed stretch that picks up larger swells and holds its form better...

The Elbow is the epicenter of Sheboygan's surf scene and the reason this Wisconsin town earned the nickname "Malibu of the Midwest." Named for the angled pier that connects to the...

Sheboygan North Beach stretches half a mile north of Deland Park, offering multiple shifting peaks that are more forgiving than the nearby reef breaks. Part of Sheboygan's...

The Wedge is one of surfing's most terrifying freaks of nature—a shore break in Newport Beach where swell reflects off a jetty, doubling in size and creating massive, violent...

Ocean Beach SF is California's cold-water crucible—a powerful beach break directly exposed to the full fetch of the North Pacific, where San Francisco's most committed surfers...

Mavericks is Northern California's big wave proving ground—a cold, shark-infested, boulder-strewn reef off Half Moon Bay that produces some of North America's most dangerous surf....

Huntington Beach is Surf City USA—the epicenter of American surf culture that has hosted the US Open of Surfing and shaped the sport's identity for generations. The pier and...

Rincon is the Queen of the Coast—a world-class right-hand point break on the Ventura-Santa Barbara county line that produces some of California's longest, most perfect waves. When...

Malibu is California's most iconic wave—the birthplace of the modern longboard and ground zero for 1960s surf culture that changed the world. Three sections (First Point, Second...

Swami's is Encinitas' spiritual surf experience—a classic right-hand reef break named after the Self-Realization Fellowship temple perched on the bluffs above. The wave breaks...

Oceanside is San Diego County's accessible workhorse—a consistent beach break where the pier focuses swell energy and creates reliable peaks for surfers of all abilities. The wide...

Jalama is California's wind-swept secret—a remote Central Coast beach break that rewards those willing to drive the long, winding road to reach it with uncrowded waves and...

Reef Road is a Florida anomaly—one of the only true reef breaks in a state dominated by beach breaks. When solid northeast swells hit Palm Beach County, Reef Road's limestone...

New Smyrna Beach Inlet holds the dubious title of "Shark Bite Capital of the World"—a statistic that hasn't stopped generations of Florida surfers from making this their home...

Cocoa Beach Pier is where East Coast surfing was born and where Kelly Slater grew up perfecting the skills that would make him the greatest surfer of all time. The waves are...

Jacksonville Beach Pier anchors Northeast Florida's surf scene—a consistent beach break that catches most swells pushing down the Atlantic seaboard. The pier creates sandbars that...

Wrightsville Beach is North Carolina's surfing epicenter—the most popular and accessible wave in a state blessed with quality beach breaks. The consistent sandbars create reliable...

Cape Hatteras occupies the most favorable position on the East Coast—a bend in the coastline where the Outer Banks jut into the Atlantic, intercepting swells that miss everywhere...

Jennette's Pier stands as the Outer Banks' surfing landmark—a modern concrete pier in Nags Head that creates reliable sandbars and serves as the region's forecasting hub with live...

S-Turns is named for the serpentine curves in Highway 12 near Rodanthe—and for the winding tubes that form along this stretch when hurricane swells unload on the Outer Banks. This...

Manasquan Inlet is the gold standard of New Jersey surfing—an inlet-enhanced beach break that produces the Garden State's most consistent and powerful waves. The inlet jetty...

Asbury Park combines Jersey Shore surf culture with a rock-and-roll heritage that made the boardwalk famous long before Bruce Springsteen wrote songs about it. The beach break...

Long Beach Island is an 18-mile barrier island that offers countless peaks for surfers willing to explore—from jetty-enhanced breaks to open beach sandbars that shift with each...

Ocean City NJ is the family-friendly face of Jersey Shore surfing—a "dry town" with a classic boardwalk where multiple jetty setups create consistent, accessible peaks for surfers...

Long Beach NY is the NYC metro area's most accessible quality surf—a south-facing beach on Long Island's barrier island that produces powerful waves and nurtures an intensely...

Rockaway Beach holds the remarkable distinction of being the only surf spot accessible by New York City subway—take the A train to the end of the line and you're in the water....

Montauk's Ditch Plains is the crown jewel of East Coast surfing—a south-facing beach at the tip of Long Island that catches more swell than anywhere else in the region. The...

Narragansett Town Beach is Rhode Island's surfing hub—the Ocean State's most popular and accessible wave, where generations of New England surfers have earned their stripes in...

Nantasket Beach is Boston's go-to surf spot—the closest consistent wave to a city of millions, accessible from downtown in under an hour. The northeast-facing beach catches...

Coast Guard Beach sits on Cape Cod's outer arm within the Cape Cod National Seashore—a powerful, exposed beach break that catches every swell moving through the region. The wave...

The Wall at Hampton Beach holds the unique distinction of being New Hampshire's only surf spot—the entire state has just 18 miles of coastline, and this is where the surf happens....

Yakutat represents the northern frontier of North American surfing—a remote Alaskan community where Gulf of Alaska storms produce powerful waves that break with glaciers visible...

The Zoo at Presque Isle is the crown jewel of Great Lakes surfing—a reef break in a sheltered bay that produces remarkably clean waves when northerly storms sweep across Lake...

Stoney Point is the premiere surfing location on Lake Superior—a gnarly reef break that catches the full fury of northeastern storms. Located on the scenic North Shore between...

Grand Marais sits on a remote stretch of Lake Superior's southern shore, where a natural sandbar and breakwall create one of the Great Lakes' most reliable surf setups. The small...

Grand Haven is Lake Michigan's oldest documented surf spot, with a scene dating back decades. Located at the mouth of the Grand River where the historic South Pier extends into...

St. Joseph's Silver Beach sits at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, about 90 minutes east of Chicago, making it the go-to Great Lakes surf destination for Midwest urbanites. The...

Cortes Bank is surfing's most remote big wave venue—an underwater mountain rising from the seafloor 100 miles off the San Diego coast. When massive Pacific storms generate huge...

Ghost Trees is Pebble Beach's secret big wave—a right-hand slab named for the white, ghostly Monterey Cypress trees that frame the break. The Carmel Canyon focuses swells to...