Surf: General: Pico Creek at the north end of downtown San Simeon. It will be either a thick, right-hand reefbreak wave during clean conditions or a peaky, rocky beachbreak on smaller days. The reef sits in front of the creek's mouth and is clogged with seaweed and boils, yet manages to produce a rather decent right which peaks on the outside, backs off, then reforms and bowls into the inside section.

Popular with surfers of all types, Pico Creek is a fairly reliable spot if the swell is bigger than chest-high. If it isn't, walk south of the short staircase. There you'll find a wide beachbreak punctuated with several boulders and patches of shallow reef. Unsurfable on anything bigger than a few feet overhead, the beachbreak proves valuable during the summertime. Tides: Low for the reef, medium for the beach break Size: Chest high-overhead Wind: NE, E Swell: SW, W, NW Bottom: Sand, rock and reef Paddling: Depends on size but generally a lot of paddling, especially when overhead. Spot Rating: Fun. Access: Take Highway 1 into San Simeon Acres, where all the hotels are, and turn west onto Pico Avenue. Park in the tiny cul-de-sac at its end and take the staircase down to the sand. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Medium. 10-15 surfers is about the maximum occupancy for Pico. Local Vibe: Definitely there. Be polite. A more subtle form of localism comes from the resident elephant seals and invisible white sharks. Environment: Depends, could be dirty after a rain. Hazards: Sharks. Nearby San Simeon has a big elephant seal rookery. Season: June-February