Surf: Fat, slow, longboard wave. Shifty and usually not very good. Holds size but lacks power. Lefts off the north end, rights off the south end, and variable degrees of quality between. Gets crowded. Directions: Access is off Highway 101, just south of Cannon Road. Park in the dirt on the ocean side of 101 and walk down the path. Surf: General: A fickle spot, the waves right off the point at Terra Mar can get good on a proper groundswell, but it is often overlooked. There are also rock reefs to the north and south of the beach entrance that can be good, but again, need a solid swell to really do their thing. The key here is timing the tide. Too much water and you’ll suffer from refraction off the cliffs. Too little water and things start closing out. And while it’s relatively quiet most of the time, the better the surf, the higher the talent level in the water and more competition for waves. Terra Mar may not be the most consistent spot in the area, but when it’s going off, it’s another San Diego County gem. Tides: Timing is everything here. Too low and things close out, too high and backwash becomes an issue. Size: Knee-high to a few feet overhead. Wind: E, NE Swell: W, WNW, NW, SSW, SW Bottom: A sandy beach with flat rocks on the bottom covered by scattered sandbars. Paddling: When it’s small, Terra Mar is a pretty easy paddle-out that may require a handful of duck-dives. As the size and consistency pick up, like most beachbreaks, you’ll spend some time punching through the whitewater before you make it out the back. Spot Rating: Fun lefts and rights that break on a variety of swell directions year-round, but does get crowded when it’s good. Access: Limited public parking in a residential community. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Not as busy as the more marquee spots in the area until it starts to get good, then it can be pretty busy. Local Vibe: Generally a quiet, mellow spot to catch a wave. There’s a lot of talent that lives in the surrounding community, so when the waves pick up and the conditions are good expect to share the water with some good surfers. Environment: Generally the water here’s pretty clean, but like most spots in Southern California, caution should be exercised during periods of heavy rain. Hazards: Rocks, stingrays and rip currents are your biggest concern, as well as water quality when it’s been raining. Season: From summertime S swells to rolling NW swells in the winter, Terra Mar enjoys exposure to energy from a variety of directions, but is especially worth checking on a strong W-SW swell or during clean winter conditions.