Seal Beach

Surf Guide

Seal Beach Pier takes what is big and walled up at Huntington Pier and grooms it into nice, snappy little peaks. The most consistent spot to surf is on the north side of the pier, where you get all kinds of surfers. North Side of the Pier is also a great place to learn how to surf with good surf school instruction and small, gentle waves on most days. South side only works on winter swells from the WNW -- the bigger the better -- and is a hot spot for bodyboarding and skimboarding with steep bowly shorebreak.On a large WNW swell North Side becomes a very demanding wave with steep "pier bowls" that are reflected off the Anaheim Jetty to the south and sweep through the pier. South Side begins to imitate Hawaii with powerful thick bowls that break countless boards each day it pumps.At the north end of the beach is Ray Bay at the mouth of the San Gabriel River, where you can sometimes find long fun rights on big south swells -- but may actually be best on huge west swells. If the sandbars in the San Gabriel river are currently good, they offer steep hollow sections beginning at the end of the jetty -- especially on bigger swells and lower tides. However, most of the time the River is best for a longboard and beginners. Warm water from the Edison Plant inland keeps the water temps in the higher than the surrounding areas, which also attracts thousands of stingrays so stay off the bottom or do the shuffle.Seal Beach is in a wind tunnel due to its location below the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and the place is a favorite for kite boarders on windy days. Seal Beach may also be one of the cleanest spots around when the wind is strong out of the northwest due to the south facing coastline and protection from the jetties.