Surfing in the United States

North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii Oahu’s North Shore is the undisputed cathedral of surfing, a seven-mile stretch that comes alive each winter with some of the biggest, most powerful waves on Earth. Breaks like Sunset and Waimea Bay draw the world’s best surfers and enormous crowds during the winter season. This is the proving ground where careers are made and where surfing’s global elite gather each year.

Malibu, California Malibu’s Surfrider Beach is the birthplace of modern longboard surfing and one of the most famous point breaks in the world. Its long, peeling right-hand wave has an effortless, dreamlike quality that has drawn surfers since the 1950s. As the world’s first World Surfing Reserve, Malibu remains a spiritual home of California surf culture, though the lineup can be fiercely crowded.

Huntington Beach, California Officially trademarked as Surf City USA, Huntington Beach is the beating commercial heart of American surfing. The consistent beach break off its iconic pier hosts the US Open of Surfing, one of the largest surf competitions in the world. The town’s surf shops, walk of fame, and year-round beach scene make it the definitive California surf city.

Santa Cruz, California Santa Cruz is Northern California’s surf capital, home to the legendary point break at Steamer Lane and the mellow longboard wave at Cowell’s Beach. The cold, powerful Pacific here demands a wetsuit and a certain toughness. The town’s surf museum, housed in a lighthouse overlooking the break, celebrates a history stretching back to the early days of the sport.

Trestles, California Trestles, near San Clemente, is a collection of world-class cobblestone point breaks that produce long, high-performance waves ideal for professional competition. The reef breaks here have hosted numerous World Surf League events. Reaching the lineup requires a walk down a trail and across railroad tracks, adding to the spot’s cult status among Southern California surfers.

Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii The Banzai Pipeline is the most famous and dangerous wave in the world, a heaving barrel that breaks in shallow water over a razor-sharp reef. Its perfect, hollow tubes are the ultimate test of courage and skill for the world’s best surfers. The Pipeline Masters, held here each winter, is the crown jewel of professional surfing and has claimed the lives of surfers who misjudged its power.

San Diego, California San Diego offers a wealth of beginner-friendly and world-class breaks along its sunny coastline, from the mellow beaches of La Jolla to the powerful reef at Black’s Beach. The consistent swell and warm-for-California water make it one of the most inviting places to learn. The relaxed, sun-soaked beach culture epitomizes the Southern California surfing lifestyle.

Cocoa Beach, Florida Cocoa Beach is the surf capital of Florida’s Space Coast and the hometown of eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater. The gentle Atlantic beach break is ideal for beginners and longboarders, and the enormous Ron Jon Surf Shop is a landmark in its own right. When hurricane swells arrive, the normally mellow waves can transform into serious surf.

Outer Banks, North Carolina The Outer Banks is the premier surf destination on the East Coast, a chain of barrier islands that catches powerful Atlantic swells, especially during hurricane season. The shifting sandbars create a variety of beach breaks along the remote, windswept coast. When the storms line up offshore, the Outer Banks can rival the best waves on the entire eastern seaboard.

Mavericks, California Mavericks, near Half Moon Bay, is one of the most notorious big-wave spots on the planet, where winter swells produce towering waves that can exceed 60 feet. The frigid, shark-inhabited waters and jagged rocks make it a genuinely life-threatening arena. Only a handful of elite big-wave surfers dare to paddle out when this legendary Northern California break awakens.

Sebastian Inlet, Florida Sebastian Inlet is Florida’s most celebrated surf spot, where a rock jetty focuses Atlantic swells into the state’s most powerful and competitive waves. This punchy break helped launch the careers of numerous professional surfers who grew up in the region. The concentrated peak draws a talented and territorial local crowd whenever a solid swell arrives.

Rincon, California Rincon, straddling the Santa Barbara and Ventura county line, is known as the Queen of the Coast for its exceptionally long, perfectly formed right-hand point break. On a good winter swell, surfers can ride a single wave for hundreds of yards. The classic California point setting and world-class wave make it one of the most cherished breaks on the West Coast.