Field Notes
How to read the ocean.
Plain-English guides to the five numbers behind every surf call, and when California breaks work.
- Beginner surf spots in California, and what makes oneNot every wave is a good wave to learn on. What makes a spot beginner friendly, and the California beaches that actually fit the bill.
- Best time of year to surf in California, season by seasonCalifornia surf runs on two seasons: winter northwest groundswell and summer south swell. What each season delivers, region by region.
- Groundswell vs windswell, telling the good days from the junkGroundswell and windswell are made by the same wind in different places. Why distance makes one organized and the other junky, and how to tell them apart.
- How to read a surf forecastA surf forecast is five numbers: height, period, direction, wind, and tide. What each one tells you, and how to read them together before you drive.
- Onshore vs offshore wind, and why it makes or breaks a sessionOnshore wind crumbles a wave and offshore grooms it. How each direction shapes the face, and why mornings usually win in California.
- Reading the tide for surfTide decides whether a spot breaks properly, backs off, or closes out. How rising and falling water change a wave, and how to time a session around it.
- What a six-tier surf rating meansGhostFingers grades surf on six tiers, from Flat to ITS ON!. What each tier means, and why an honest scale beats an inflated one.
- Swell period explained, and why it matters more than heightSwell period is the seconds between waves, and it predicts quality better than height does. What short, mid, and long period mean for your session.