Surf: General: One of North San Diego County’s more dependable, user-friendly beachbreaks, Moonlight Beach is a consistent stretch of coast that enjoys exposure to swells from both the NW and SW, thus having waves pretty much year-round. Gentle and forgiving when it’s small, Moonlight Beach can be an ideal spot for beginners to start to figure things out. As the swell increases, the beachbreak becomes mores challenging with more powerful surf and stronger currents. The best time of year at Moonlight Beach is during the autumn months, when a combination of swells can provide crossed-up, peaky surf and offshore winds or glassy conditions are common. Tides: The tide push after low tide really helps Moonlight Beach. Too drained out and the waves tend to crumble and close out, too much water and things soften up considerably. Size: Knee high to a few feet overhead. Wind: E, NE Swell: W, NW, SW, WNW Bottom: Shifting sandbars make for scattered peaks up and down the beach. Paddling: On small days, the paddle at Moonlight Beach is a relatively easy one, but when it’s pumping on a good NW or SW, you’ll definitely be feeling the burn on the way out. Spot Rating: A dependable, fairly soft beachbreak that is average most of the time, Moonlight can offer moments of bliss when combo swells cross things up and provide more juice to make the wave break top-to-bottom. Access: Paid parking lot at C Street with free street parking. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Gets busy on a warm summer day with small to moderate surf. Conversely, cold winter days can be relatively empty. The crowds are generally mellow and not too much to stress over. Local Vibe: A user-friendly break that accommodates beginner and experienced surfers alike, Moonlight can get pretty good on its day and when it is, the talented local crew know it. There’s plenty of room to spread out, so find a lightly attended peak and have some fun. Environment: Most of the time it’s clean, but like most Southern California surf spots, caution should be exercised after periods of heavy rain. Hazards: The same hazards that apply to most San Diego beachbreaks apply here — rip currents, stingrays and other humans. Season: Picking up a wide range of swells, it’s surfable most of the year. Autumn is especially nice as combo swells can sync up with offshore Santa Ana conditions.