County Line/Yerba Buena Beach surf guide
Surf: Popular, scenic spot with two surfable areas. The rocky north end of County Line is called The Point, mainly rights, though some good lefts are occasionally dished up. Very fun and usually crowded. Kept fairly glassy at all times by thick outside kelp beds. Medium tides work best here, especially on a W swell up to a few feet overhead. To the south is the beachbreak, various peaks lined up on outer reefs, which can get hollow and punchy. Popular with shortboarders. Can be good at anytime.
Environment: Undeveloped and a welcome change from the urban surf spots to the south. Park right along the surf on Highway 1 near its confluence with Yerba Buena Road north of the Ventura/L.A. county line.
Surf: General: Always bigger and colder than it looks, this is the first consistently surfed spot south of Point Mugu (it's actually just north of the Los Angeles County line). Once called Pete's Reef for the burger stand that once stood on the cliff, County Line can be a fun hot-dog wave, while the beachbreak can get nasty and hollow at high tide. It is probably the most visible surf spot on this stretch of highway, but the indistinct lineup can be hard to figure out, and that spreads the crowd around nicely.On the north end of the beach, there's a kelpy point/cobblestone right that consistently offers the best waves. It lines up best on W and SW swells with a medium tide, though the beachbreak gets plenty of traffic during the summertime souths. There's also a hollow, rock-riddled left at the far north end.
Tides: medium
Size: waist high to double overhead
Wind: NE
Swell: W, SW, S, SSE
Bottom: Sand and rock
Paddling: Not typically too bad but can turn into a lot of duck diving if it's solid.
Spot Rating: Beachbreak gets fun on a combo of swells, while the kelpy point/cobblestone right offers the most shapely waves with larger SW or W swells.
Access: Park on PCH, directly in front of Neptune's Net.
Crowds: Crowd Factor: Close proximity to the Valley means it is rarely uncrowded, but it is still easy to get waves.
Local Vibe: Cordial.
Environment: Not great after a rain.
Hazards: The highway, car rip-offs, bikers at Neptune's Net.
Season: Gets good year-round, but fall is good most often.