HMB Jetty
Sand-bottom beachbreak inside the Pillar Point breakwater in Half Moon Bay. The jetty shadow softens the open-coast swell — peaks shift with the sandbars.
Spot intel
Parking
Paid lot at Pillar Point Harbor, walk-in to the beach. Free street parking along West Point Avenue when the lot's full.
Crowd
Moderate on weekends, thinner midweek. Mix of surf-school and intermediate locals — the inside-the-breakwater geometry keeps the wave manageable, which keeps the lineup spread.
Beginner-friendly?
Depends.
Sand bottom and a breakwater that takes the edge off the open-coast swell. On small days the wave opens up for confident beginners and intermediates. On larger swells the same wave gets steeper and the rip pulls toward the jetty — not a novice wave then.
Lineup etiquette
Beachbreak priority is per-wave, not by lineup position. Standard rule: a wave already taken from the peak isn't open to paddle into.
When it's on
West or northwest groundswell with light offshore wind from the east. Mid-tide window. The breakwater means the wave is on more days than the open-coast spots up and down the same county.
When beginners can paddle out
Knee-high to chest-high on a mid tide with light wind. Hooded full suits are standard.
Where it breaks
- Coordinates
- 37.5018, -122.4889
- Shore faces
- W
- Region
- Half Moon Bay, California
Launching summer 2026.
Six-tier verdicts for every California break, calibrated to swell, period, direction, tide, and wind. One email when HMB Jetty ships in the app.