Moss Landing

Salinas River State Beach

Located just adjacent to the Moss Landing Marine Labs, and the little town of Moss Landing, this beach has one of the best spots for heavy beach break barrels. Prefers a west swell, and consistently has peaky conditions giving you fast tubes for a quick cover-up. Just to the north of this spot is Moss Landing State Beach, which has larger wave size and longer swell lines. Be aware that some of the locals here believe they own this wave, so be expect a cold reception.

-Breaks well with west, northwest swells

-Exposed to a small amount of south swell

-Wave shape/conditions: best in the Monterey bay

-Waves will close out easily with too large a swell

-Wind starts by late morning, early afternoon

-Crowds and localism is an issue here, be
 courteous


Marina State Beach

This spot is one of the favorites of local CSU Monterey Bay students. However, it rarely feels crowded due to the miles of beach break waves. Marina likes a West/ Northwest swell and has long swell lines that can give you a comparatively long ride. Currents/rip currents and wave size here can be treacherous so use caution and respect the ocean’s potential to thrash you. To top it off, this area is known for sightings of white sharks too!

-Works best with a west/northwest swell

-Less exposure to south swells

-Holds larger size swell without compromising 
 shape 

-Be aware of large concentration of marine wildlife

-Steer clear of sea lions, they will charge you

-Relatively few crowds

-High winds common early in the day