Rockpile Beach (lagunabeachcity.net) earned its name. Sea urchins make their homes on the rocks that cover the ocean floor at this beach. Even experienced surfers can have difficulty getting beyond the hazards and accessing the waves. Once out in the water at high tide, you'll find consistent surf with good knee-waist to chest-high waves. Summer is the favorite season for surfing at this beach, which is approximately 700 feet long, and is closed to swimmers and body boarders. Access is off Cliff Drive in the middle of town. Expect to pay for street parking.
Head south less than a mile from downtown to the next surf spot at St. Anne's Beach, (lagunabeachcity.net) between Cleo Street and Thalia Street beaches. Put your surfboard in the water south of the surf flag to avoid body surfers. Locals handle St. Anne's rock reef, but prefer the sandy bottom just north of the lifeguard tower. However, that area has the strongest rip tide when there's high surf. Metered parking is on the street.
You'll carry your surfboard 66 steps down to the narrow beach at Thalia Street (lagunabeachcity.net). Locals congregate at this spot that's almost all rock reef. Watch for the rocks, as well as extreme rip conditions, especially during high surf. Winter is the favored time here, and the best wind direction is from the northeast. The area is about a mile south of downtown. Metered parking is on the street. Swimmers are not allowed.
Brooks Street entices surfers with a good south swell when conditions are right, but this surf area also has a rocky reef. The rocks are totally exposed during low tide, resulting in the city issuing a warning to surfers to use extreme caution here. Access to the beach is a couple of blocks south of Thalia, with metered parking on the street.
Surfers hit the water at Agate Street (lagunabeachcity.net) during the winter because of the consistent swells around mid-tide. Expect to find an exposed reef break. The beach is closed to surfers from noon to 5 p.m. June 15 to Sept. 15 to allow for summer swimming crowds. The beach is about a half mile south of Thalia, and the last designated surfing spot in Laguna Beach.
