Page 392 - California Diving and Surfing
P. 392
SAN DIEGO SEASON OVERVIEW: as occasional fierce onshore winds tions. The water has started to chill
Winter: Winter in San Diego means produce upwelling. Overall, anything down but the quality and abundance
water temperatures in the mid- is possible. of good surf overshadows the cold.
high 50’s and consistent northwest Summer: The best option for any Franko’s Map of San Diego Surfing
groundswell. Most of the breaks surfer during the Summer is to surf SiIDE 1 shows Franko’s Map of San
throughout the county come to life as early as possible. Summertime in Diego Surfing South, since it begins
during the Winter and not surpris- San Diego is notorious for crowds, at about Del Mar and goes down to
ingly some of these breaks can on the beach and in the water. South the Mexican Border, plus it shows a
become rather crowded. However, swells usually miss this stretch of the big inset with close-up details of eve-
with such an abundance of decent coast, but a big enough southwest rything from Black’s Beach to Pacific
days and ever-changing conditions will light up a fair share of spots, Beach. Of course, La Jolla Shores,
there are always a few playful waves especially around the La Jolla area. Hospitals, Horseshoes, Windandsea,
to be found. Spring: The northwest In general, the water can get warm Big Rock, Bird Rock, PB Point, PB,
groundswell factory slowly grinds to enough to trunk it but the afternoon Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Sunset
a halt during the wind usually calls for a springsuit. Cliffs, Point Loma, Coronado Island,
Spring. The steady, long period swells Fall: If you could choose the ideal Silver Strand, Imperial Beach, and
of winter are replaced by moody, time to surf in San Diego you would even Tijuana Sloughs is included,
localized wind-driven swells. The have to pick the Fall. Early season with many, many more. The major
stubborn South Pacific might send northwest groundswells originat- roads and freeways of San Diego
a few southwest swells to tempt ing in the North Pacific begin their County are shown to guide the surfer
the masses; but, the predominantly monotonous assault on this region. to these spots as well.
northwest facing beaches make their Mixed with a few late season south-
arrival a hit or miss proposition. Wa- west swells and the possibility of
ter temperatures change almost daily slack winds or offshore conditions,
between tolerable and intolerable you have the recipe for epic condi-
