SURFISCOOL

Local guide · Santa Ana River to Seal Beach

Huntington Beach surf spots: River Jetties to Seal Beach

The sand from the Santa Ana River mouth to the Seal Beach Pier looks like one long beach, but it isn’t: a tidal inlet crosses Bolsa Chica State Beach, and the Anaheim Bay entrance and a Navy base sit between Surfside and Seal Beach. California State Parks and the cities of Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Seal Beach each look after a different stretch. [1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8]

See every beach Today’s forecast
Describing a beach is not the same as teaching there. Surfiscool teaches in Huntington Beach, at a meeting point confirmed when you book. This guide describes public beaches along the coast; it doesn’t mean lessons run at each one.
Map of surf spots from Seal Beach Pier to the Santa Ana River mouth, numbered south to northPacific Ocean
✕ marks a harbor entrance or tidal inlet — the beach does not continue across it. Map rotated so the shore runs left to right; the arrow points north. Coastline, piers and waterways © OpenStreetMap contributors.

South to north

Every beach, in order

Filled markers have a full guide. Each entry says who manages the beach and how the public gets in.

  1. The Santa Ana River mouth: river water and a rock jetty in the middle distance, with the beach and breaking waves beyond
    Photo: Basar, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), source.

    Santa Ana River Jetties

    Rock jetties at the river mouth hold sandbars that can make steep, fast, hollow waves — and large rip currents. State Parks does not encourage novice surfers here. [4]

    Read the Santa Ana River Jetties guide
    Kind
    Sandbar break shaped by the river-mouth jetties
    Managed by
    California State Parks on the north side (Huntington State Beach); the City of Newport Beach on the south side. [4],[7]
    Access
    From the north, through Huntington State Beach and its Brookhurst Street entrance; from the south, from West Newport, where Newport’s beaches begin at the river jetty. [9],[7]
    Parking
    Huntington State Beach day use was $15, or $20 on summer weekends and holidays, when checked on October 11, 2026. [4]
    Forecast
    View the River Jetties forecast
  2. Waves breaking on the wide sand of Huntington State Beach
    Photo: FASTILY, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), source.

    Huntington State Beach

    Two miles of state beach from Beach Boulevard south to the Santa Ana River. State Parks calls it a premier surfing spot, with prime surf from late spring through fall on south swells. [4]

    Kind
    Long state beach
    Managed by
    California State Parks, Orange Coast District. [4],[10]
    Access
    Entrances at Beach Boulevard, Newland, Magnolia (the main entrance, beside lifeguard headquarters) and Brookhurst. Dogs only on the trail and in the lots; the nesting reserve at the south end is closed. [4],[9]
    Parking
    Open 6 a.m.–10 p.m., gates close 9 p.m.; day use was $15, or $20 on summer weekends and holidays, when checked on October 11, 2026. [4]
    Forecast
    NWS Orange County surf zone forecast (below); nearest AYON Wave spot: River Jetties, 1.6 km away
  3. Aerial view of the Huntington Beach Pier and the beach on both sides of it, with lines of surf breaking along the shore and the city behind
    Photo: Don Ramey Logan (WPPilot), via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), source.

    Huntington Beach Pier

    A 1,850-foot municipal pier at Main Street, with surf on both sides. Surfers treat the northside and southside as separate breaks, and the U.S. Open of Surfing is held on the south side every summer. [11],[12],[13]

    Read the Huntington Beach Pier guide
    Kind
    Beach break either side of a pier
    Managed by
    City of Huntington Beach; its Marine Safety Division lifeguards the city beach. [6],[14]
    Access
    Pier Plaza and Main Street, downtown. The beach is closed 10 p.m.–5 a.m.; the pier and Pier Plaza close midnight–5 a.m. [14]
    Parking
    City lots by the pier charge by the hour, and the south beach lots by the day; the City notes rates change. [15]
    Forecast
    View the Huntington Beach forecast
  4. The beach below the Huntington Cliffs, with the eroded bluff edge on one side and surf along the shore
    Photo: Sergei Gussev, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0), source.

    The Cliffs (Dog Beach)

    The beach below the Huntington Cliffs between Goldenwest Street and Seapoint Avenue, known both as Dog Beach and as a surf spot. The Coastal Commission noted that the seabed near the cliffs focuses waves consistently. [16],[17],[18]

    Kind
    Beach below the bluffs
    Managed by
    City of Huntington Beach, inside its Beach Boulevard–Seapoint lifeguard area. [6]
    Access
    Down from the bluff-top path and lots along Pacific Coast Highway. City code allows dogs on this stretch on a leash of six feet or less. The City has narrowed part of the bluff-top path after a bluff collapse, so watch for closures. [14],[19]
    Parking
    City Dog Beach and Blufftop lots: $3 an hour off-peak, $4 at peak, on the City’s rate page. [15]
    Forecast
    NWS Orange County surf zone forecast (below); nearest AYON Wave spot: Huntington Beach, 3.2 km away
  5. Waves breaking along the long sandy shore of Bolsa Chica State Beach, with people at the water’s edge in the distance
    Photo: Ken Lund, via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0), source.

    Bolsa Chica State Beach

    About three miles of state beach north of the Cliffs, up to Warner Avenue. State Parks says it “consistently draws prime waves,” with surf that breaks in shallower water; the best peaks move with the sandbars. [5],[18]

    Read the Bolsa Chica State Beach guide

    Not one continuous beach: since 2006 the Bolsa Chica tidal inlet, between two jetties and under a Pacific Coast Highway bridge, cuts across the sand near the south end. [20],[1]

    Kind
    Long sandy beach break
    Managed by
    California State Parks, Orange Coast District. [5],[10]
    Access
    Entrances along Pacific Coast Highway between Seapoint Avenue and Warner Avenue; dogs only on the bike path. A tidal inlet with jetties crosses the beach near its south end. [5],[6],[20]
    Parking
    Pay by QR code through LAZ Parking; day use was $15, or $20 on summer weekends and holidays, when checked on October 11, 2026. [5]
    Forecast
    NWS Orange County surf zone forecast (below)
  6. Lifeguard tower 10 on the sand at Sunset Beach, with beachfront homes behind it
    Photo: Regular Daddy, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), source.

    Sunset Beach

    The beach along the Sunset Beach neighborhood, between Warner Avenue and Anderson Street. City lifeguards patrol it from 10 a.m. until sunset. [14],[6]

    Kind
    Neighborhood beach
    Managed by
    City of Huntington Beach, which annexed Sunset Beach in 2011; City lifeguards have served it since 2013. [21],[6]
    Access
    Public parking in the City’s Warner Avenue lot by the fire station ($3 an hour off-peak, $4 at peak) and along Pacific Avenue; the beach is closed 10 p.m.–5 a.m. [15],[14]
    Forecast
    NWS Orange County surf zone forecast (below)
  7. Beachfront homes of Surfside Colony along the sand, looking south down the beach
    Photo: Karen Fasimpaur, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0), source.

    Surfside

    About 0.7 miles of beach in front of Surfside Colony. Forecasting sites describe an inconsistent beach break that is often best in winter, with mostly rights. [22],[23]

    No beach route north from here. The Anaheim Bay entrance and Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach lie between Surfside and Seal Beach; federal rules prohibit surfboards and any person in the water between the bay’s jetties, and the Coastal Trail detours inland. [2],[3],[26]

    Kind
    Beach in front of a gated community
    Managed by
    Surfside Colony, a gated community in the City of Seal Beach, owns the beach to the ordinary high-water mark; the beach below it is public, owned by the State of California. [24],[25]
    Access
    There is no public path through the gated colony: the California Coastal Trail reaches the sand by walking down Anderson Street along its edge, then along the waterline. [22],[25],[3]
    Forecast
    NWS Orange County surf zone forecast (below)
  8. Surfers waiting in the water beside the Seal Beach Pier, seen from the pier
    Photo: Sergei Gussev, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0), source.

    Seal Beach Pier

    Seal Beach’s city beach runs from the Anaheim Bay breakwater to the San Gabriel River jetty, with the municipal pier in the middle. In summer, 10:30 a.m.–8 p.m., there is no hardboard surfing between the Anaheim Jetty and Tower 7 at 2nd Street. [27],[28]

    Stingrays are “notoriously abundant” here, with hundreds of stingray injuries reported each summer — shuffle your feet. [31]

    Kind
    City beach either side of a pier
    Managed by
    City of Seal Beach; its Marine Safety lifeguards are on duty every day of the year. [8]
    Access
    Beach lots at 1st, 8th and 10th Streets: $3 an hour with a $15 daily maximum since July 2025. The City plans pier rehabilitation work for November 2026 to March 2027, so check before you go. [29],[30]
    Forecast
    NWS Orange County surf zone forecast (below)

Forecast · National Weather Service

Surf zone forecast for Orange County beaches

National Weather Service San Diego · zone CAZ552, Orange County Coastal Areas · issued · valid until

  • Coastal flood warning through 1 PM today
  • Coastal flood advisory from 1 PM today through 2 PM Friday

Today

Surf height
1 to 3 feet
Rip current risk
Low
Water temperature (°F)
70 to 75 degrees
Swell
Swell from 200 degrees.

Friday

Surf height
1 to 3 feet. Sets to 4 feet
Rip current risk
Low
Swell
Swell from 200 degrees.
How NWS defines rip current risk
  • Low Risk - Life threatening rip currents are unlikely but still could occur.
  • Moderate Risk - Life threatening rip currents are possible.
  • High Risk - Life threatening rip currents are likely.

Observation · offshore buoy

2.0 ft significant wave height15 s dominant periodS (187°) direction waves come from74 °F water

Measured by buoy 46253 (San Pedro South, CDIP 213), about 19 km west-southwest of the Huntington Beach Pier in open water. Waves breaking at the beach are a different, local thing.

Sources: NWS San Diego Surf Zone Forecast · NOAA NDBC station 46253 · CDIP buoy 213 (Scripps). Snapshot generated and refreshed about every 30 minutes. All times Pacific.

Sources

Where this comes from

  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (archived), “Bolsa Chica Lowlands Restoration Project: project description”. 19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/www3/region9/water/wetlands/bolsa-chica/projectdescription.html (accessed October 9, 2026).
  2. U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (Cornell LII), “33 CFR 334.930 — Anaheim Bay Harbor restricted area”. www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/33/334.930 (accessed October 11, 2026).
  3. California Coastal Trail, “Orange County, section 1”. californiacoastaltrail.org/trail-section/orange-section-1/ (accessed October 9, 2026).
  4. California State Parks, “Huntington State Beach”. www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=643 (accessed October 11, 2026).
  5. California State Parks, “Bolsa Chica State Beach”. www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=642 (accessed October 11, 2026).
  6. City of Huntington Beach, “Marine Safety”. www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/departments/fire/marine_safety.php (accessed October 11, 2026).
  7. City of Newport Beach, “Beach information”. www.newportbeachca.gov/how-do-i-/find/beach-information (accessed October 9, 2026).
  8. City of Seal Beach, “Marine Safety / Lifeguards”. sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Marine-Safety-Lifeguards/ (accessed October 9, 2026).
  9. California State Parks, “Huntington State Beach map”. www.parks.ca.gov/pages/643/files/HuntingtonSBFinalWebMap072312.pdf (accessed October 9, 2026).
  10. California State Parks, “Orange Coast District Posted Orders (2023)”. www.parks.ca.gov/pages/643/files/Orange%20Coast%20District%20Posted%20Orders%202023.pdf (accessed October 9, 2026).
  11. Wikipedia, “Huntington Beach Pier”. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntington_Beach_Pier (accessed October 9, 2026).
  12. Surftrips, “Huntington Beach Pier Northside”. surftrips.co/united-states/california/huntington-beach-pier-northside (accessed October 11, 2026).
  13. Surftrips, “Huntington Beach Pier Southside”. surftrips.co/united-states/california/huntington-beach-pier-southside (accessed October 11, 2026).
  14. City of Huntington Beach, “Municipal Code, Chapter 13.08 Beach and Pier Regulations (archived 2025-12-06)”. web.archive.org/web/20251206093234/https://ecode360.com/43799422 (accessed October 9, 2026).
  15. City of Huntington Beach, “Parking rates and fees”. www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/services/parking/rates_and_fees.php (accessed October 9, 2026).
  16. Visit Huntington Beach, “Dog Beach”. www.surfcityusa.com/things-to-do/beaches/dog-beach/ (accessed October 9, 2026).
  17. Wikipedia, “Huntington Beach, California”. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntington_Beach,_California (accessed October 9, 2026).
  18. California Coastal Commission, “Staff report Th9b, August 2001 (Bolsa Chica Lowlands)”. documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2001/8/Th9b-8-2001.pdf (accessed October 9, 2026).
  19. City of Huntington Beach, “Bluff top path notice”. www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/news_detail_T4_R74.php (accessed October 9, 2026).
  20. California State Lands Commission, “Historic Bolsa Chica Lowlands Restoration Project to celebrate 10th anniversary”. www.slc.ca.gov/bolsa-chica/historic-bolsa-chica-lowlands-restoration-project-to-celebrate-10th-anniversary/ (accessed October 9, 2026).
  21. Wikipedia, “Sunset Beach, California”. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Beach,_California (accessed October 9, 2026).
  22. Surfside Colony, “Surfside Colony”. www.surfsidecolony.org/ (accessed October 9, 2026).
  23. Surf-Forecast.com, “Surfside Jetty”. www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Surfside-Jetty (accessed October 9, 2026).
  24. Wikipedia, “Surfside, California”. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfside,_California (accessed October 9, 2026).
  25. California Court of Appeal (via FindLaw), “Surfside Colony v. California Coastal Commission (1991)”. caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ca-court-of-appeal/1759058.html (accessed October 9, 2026).
  26. Wikipedia, “Anaheim Bay”. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaheim_Bay (accessed October 9, 2026).
  27. County of Orange, “Seal Beach ocean water closure (February 2024)”. www.ocgov.com/press/seal-beach-ocean-water-closure (accessed October 9, 2026).
  28. City of Seal Beach, “Beach Rules”. sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Marine-Safety-Lifeguards/Beach-Rules/ (accessed October 9, 2026).
  29. Sun Newspapers (Seal Beach), “New beach lot parking rates start July 1”. www.sunnews.org/new-beach-lot-parking-rates-start-july-1/ (accessed October 9, 2026).
  30. City of Seal Beach, “Capital Improvement Program”. capitalimprovement.sealbeachca.gov/ (accessed October 9, 2026).
  31. CSULB Shark Lab, “Stingray behavior and biology”. www.csulb.edu/shark-lab/stingray-behavior-and-biology (accessed October 9, 2026).
  32. California State Lands Commission, “Bolsa Chica”. www.slc.ca.gov/bolsa-chica (accessed October 9, 2026).

Want a lesson? Book with Surfiscool — we confirm the conditions and the meeting point in Huntington Beach before you paddle out.

Book a surf lesson