Surf: General: It's funny, but most of the time, surf spot names tend to exaggerate the intensity of the wave -- think frank 1960s/70s labels like "widowmaker", "dead man's" or "shark pits". And yet here we have Killers, a vile oceanic beast that lives beside the northwest corner of Northern Baja's barren, wind-battered Todos Santos island, that threatens, at every moment it is awake, to do just what its namesake suggests. (It should be noted that many of Baja's surf breaks are thoughtfully named.)

Killers was the West Coast's first legitimate big wave, discovered by the Windansea guys back in the '60s. And despite taking a permanent backseat to Maverick's after the Northern California grotesquely giant A-frame stormed on the scene, Killers remains a rite of passage for any aspiring big wave charger this side of Oahu.

As with most big waves, a number of factors have to intersect to make Killers wake up: the reef points directly into the maw of northwest swells, and is flanked by a serious underwater canyon that focuses long period swell energy down the point -- often doubling the size of whatever swell's out there. It's a powerful and shifty deepwater wave, complete with weird boils and bumps in the face, but if you make the drop on your chattering 10'2" and are able to bottom turn around the first section and actually like it, you may be ready for the bigger leagues. Better make sure you like getting up at 2am, though, if you're coming from SoCal, 'cause Killers blows out early most days. Tides: Low. Size: Really starts working at 3-4 times overhead and goes up from there. Wind: Glassy, light E Swell: NW, W Bottom: Rock and sand. Paddling: Medium Spot Rating: Really good. Access: Boat in only -- ask around at the harbor in Ensenada. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Yeah, when it's on, there are a hardcore crew that make the trip every time. Local Vibe: Obviously, the guys who have been coming for a long time get first dibs. But if your skill level is there, everyone watches out for each other. Environment: Clean Hazards: Exposed rocks, currents, extremely powerful waves. Season: November-March