Cayucos Pier, Southside Surf Guide
Surf spot guide
Ideal Surf Conditions
Swell Direction
W, SW
Wind
NE (location provides some shelter from prevailing N and NW winds).
Surf Height
Waist high-overhead.
Tide
Medium to high.
Cayucos Pier, Southside Surf Guide
The Cayucos Pier was first brought to life for the surfing world through a 1982 surf magazine article. While the article explained the overall adversity of the area, the accompanying photographs portrayed the pier's wave to be a crispy, clean, green and predominantly right-hand barrel polished by icy offshores. Newsflash! The photos lie.Cayucos Pier is essentially a hollow closeout, but that's certainly not to say you won't/can't stumble upon some peelers off the pilings. A long-standing affiliate of the Central Coast's exclusive Fickle Spot Club (FSC), the Cayucos Pier is definitely lousy more often than not, but one noteworthy aspect is that the place is sheltered from the prevailing northerly winds, deeming Cayucos a bit warmer than surrounding area.
Ability Level
Beginner - Intermediate
Beginner-intermediate.
Local Vibe
Doable
Not much. Humility and kindness will go a long way.
Crowd Factor
Moderate
Other people in the water can be a factor, but it's fairly simple to get the pier all to yourself if you show up early on a weekday.
Spot Rating
Poor
Kinda fun.
Shoulder Burn
Medium
Not too bad.
Water Quality
Clean
Clean.
Hazards
Fishing lines, sharks.
Bring Your
Shortboard, Funboard, Longboard, Fish
Access
Exit Highway 1 onto Cayucos Drive and go west. You can't miss the pier, as it's the focal point of downtown Cayucos.
Bottom
Sand, with a few rocks to the south.
Best Season
March-January
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