Tuesday, August 3, 2010

County Line Surf Spot Review


While not actually on the county line between Ventura and LA, this spot acts like the DMZ (minus the landmines), officially demarcating surfwise where the land of sun and botox ends, and the realm of oil derricks and strawberries begins. That point aside, no matter what the conditions are, you will always find someone surfing County Line. That’s because there is almost always something surfable there, even when it’s no bigger than an ankle slapper.

Location: Coming north from Malibu on PCH, you can’t miss it. It is right along the highway near the Ventura/LA county line. If you do miss it, you’re probably as blind as Mr. Magoo and shouldn’t be driving.

Setup: At the north end of the beach is point/reef break that offers up a fast peaky right. There is also a short left, but be prepared to share your wave (and board) with the local rocks. At the south end of the beach is mysto-spot 600 yards from shore known as “County Line Bambora,” and it only breaks when the swell is f-ing large. In between the two spots is a collection of constantly shifting but very fun beachbreaks.

Swell and tide: Whether it is south, northwest, or anything in between, any swell from the great Pacific will break here. Often times, County will be bigger than most spots to the south when the waves are fickle. The beachbreaks are better on a high tide, while the reef/point at the north end is better on a low tide.

Access: Park on PCH, or in the dirt lot at the north end of the beach.

Pros: Consistent, reliable, and often times pretty fun. The shifting beachbreaks tends to keep the line up spread out.

Cons: Due to its location, Vals and Thousand Dokies tend to flock here, so it is usually crowded with a rather diverse skill level of surfers. It also can blow out rather easily, and has a tendency to look bigger than it actually is.

Surf fact: Neptune’s Net is right across from County Line and has some great seafood. It is also used in a lot of movies; so don’t be surprised if you see Johnny Utah or the Big Wednesday crew munching on some crab legs.

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