Surf: Gutless righthand cobblestone reef waves, ideal for beginners and longboarders. Slow and mushy; any tide and swell. Environment: Crowded. Polluted after rains. Campground here. Access from pay parking lot at Doheny State Park. Surf: General: If you aren’t aware of what existed before it, Doheny is an ideal beginner’s wave.  Swells slip past the swell-choking jetty, break softly over a bed of cobblestones and form into slow shoulders. A few hundred yards north, by the San Juan Creek, there’s a sandbar and reef that break better on stronger swells. During the winter of 1993 and the El Nino winter of 1998, perfect sandbars formed near the rivermouth and produced hollow freight-train rights. If you can withstand the sky-high fecal counts, it’s these types of bars that’ll quench the thirst for days past. Those days are all too rare, though, so Doheny, if anything, will serve as great place to introduce your child to his/her first wave.

Water quality at Doheny is often poor and can be especially bad after it rains. As a reminder - stay out of the water at Doheny and at other surf spots near creek mouths and major storm drains for up to 72 hours after a rain. Tides: Medium. Watch out for exposed rocks on low tide. Size: Waist- to head-high. Wind: NE (Picks up Santa Anas well.) Swell: SSE, S, SW Bottom: Sharp rocks, sand. Paddling: Dry hair paddle-outs 365 days a year. Spot Rating: Shadow, but serviceable version, of its former self. Access: Bring dollar bills or a state park pass. Turn into the Doheny parking lot and feed the machine. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Moderate. Think summer, kids' surf camps, families of beginners and the odd kayaker. Local Vibe: Happy. Environment: Toxic after a rain. Hazards: Gnarly water quality after it rains. Season: March-October