Surfing in San Diego

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With its miles of beaches, San Diego is a popular surf destination. Some of the best spots include Windansea, La Jolla Shores, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, and Imperial Beach. In North County, you might consider Carlsbad State Beach and Oceanside. The best waves are in late summer and early fall; surfers visiting in winter or spring will want to bring along a wet suit. For surf reports, check out www.surfingsandiego.com or www.surfline.com.

Boards are available for rent at stands at many popular beaches. Many local surf shops also rent equipment; they include La Jolla Surf Systems, 2132 Avenida de la Playa, La Jolla Shores (tel. 858/456-2777), and Emerald City-The Boarding Source, 1118 Orange Ave., Coronado (tel. 619/435-6677).

For surfing lessons, with all equipment provided, check with Kahuna Bob's Surf School (tel. 800/KAHUNAS or 760/721-7700; www.kahunabob.com) based in Encinitas; San Diego Surfing Academy (tel. 800/447-SURF or 760/230-1474; www.surfsdsa.com), which offers lessons at Tourmaline in Pacific Beach and San Elijo State Beach in Cardiff by the Sea; and Surf Diva (tel. 858/454-8273; www.surfdiva.com), the world's first surfing school for women and girls (with one instructor dude), based in La Jolla.