Huntington, Newport & Laguna surf reports

Best seasons

Winter. West and northwest swells are Huntington’s best season. The pier’s south side, where the contests run, is at its best now, as the swell bends in under the pilings. Blackies, small all summer, gets steeper peaks and a hungrier crowd, and the right off the south side of the 56th Street jetty improves. Laguna mostly misses these swells: the coast to the north and the offshore islands block them, and Thalia Street can sit flat for weeks. Santa Ana mornings blow offshore. Wear a full suit, with booties on the coldest days.

Summer. South swells are Laguna’s season. Thalia Street is at its most dependable, and a strong south or southwest swell wakes up Brooks Street’s shallow reef left, which sits flat most of the year. At 56th Street the jetty sets up a fast left. The US Open of Surfing takes over the Huntington pier each summer, and on busy days lifeguards fly the blackball flag to clear hard boards from stretches of beach, so check the flags before you paddle out. Mornings are cleanest, before the onshore wind.

Spring and fall. Fall is the overlap: the season’s last south swells cross the early west ones, Santa Anas blow offshore again, and 56th Street is often at its most consistent. Brooks Street can still wake up on a strong late-season south swell. Spring brings mixed swells and cooler water.

Where to start

Beginners. Newer surfers should begin at Bolsa Chica, whose mellow sand-bottom waves are a quick paddle out. Learners do best toward the north end, away from the quicker waves by the jetties at the wetlands outlet. Blackies and Thalia Street work for newer surfers on small days; at Thalia, surf south of the flag.

Longboards. Bolsa Chica and Blackies are longboard beaches, and Blackies, beside the Newport pier, has an easygoing longboard crowd that welcomes everyone. Thalia Street takes any board when it’s small.

Shortboards. The Huntington pier and 56th Street are the shortboard waves, both crowded with skilled surfers, with pilings at the pier and shallow sand by the jetty. Brooks Street belongs to advanced surfers: its fast left, over shallow reef with boils inside, waits for a big swell out of the south.

Which spot for which swell

Guide updated October 2026