Creepiest surf spots

[Leaverite]

I kept it to spots that I actually paddle out. But Greyhound looks creepy too

Greyhound rock is probably at the top of my list. One of those places that even if it's good you just drive away and leave it alone.

Waddell south reefs are creepy spots. I was out one cold, foggy, glassy morning waiting for an intermitent south set. All of a sudden this big old grizzled sealion popped up next to me. It just looked at me and snarled. A mouth full of big teeth, it looked like an old wolf. That will ruin your sesh in a hurry.

 

[jkb]

Anything North of Ano and South of Half Moon Bay is creepy as fvck.

San Clemente Island

Carps

 

[Leaverite]

Anything North of Ano and South of Half Moon Bay is creepy as fvck.

San Clemente Island

Carps

Biggest GW I have ever seen was while doing a surf check at Pescadero point. Trolling in close to the shoreline there. There was a little rock just offshore with two harbor seals hauled out on it. It was just doing slow circles around the rock. Huge dorsal fin and then the tail fin about 8' behind it...

It was a sunny, offshore morning. Small, which is why I ventured up that far. Out of the corner of my eye I saw these ripples in the water just outside of the surf line. I thought it was a bird swimming at first, then realized it was a huge, dorsal fin...I watched it for close to 20 minutes. As a surfer you think about sharks. It's one of those bogeymen, something that can happen.

Until you actually see one......then it becomes a whole lot more real. Before the days of smart phones and phone cams. Wish I could have taken some photos.

 

[_____]

I've dove all over San Clem and never thought it was sketch. SBI and Rosa much more. Anacapa for some reason the most. Sorta like surfing E. Point. Feels like you're on the edge of a big shelf/continent.

 

[Leaverite]

Growing up it always felt that north of SC was the sharky zone.

These days its the south county beaches. The places we always felt were safe are now the danger zone.

There was one day though back in the late 80's. Beercan beach south of Santa Cruz. A really hot weekend. I was out mid morning surfing a sandbar with some friends, wearing a springsuit. Felt this woosh/swirl of water against my right bare leg while I I was sitting on my board waiting for a set. Saw a 5' Blue shark swim off....fuuuuuuck.....

 

[PeterDj]

Point Reyes was the creepiest because if the sharks don't get you, the local hippies will get you for a midsommar festival sacrifice. But the recent attack and all the drone footage of Aptos - Manresa lately has made me feel safe further up north. i feel safer around the big sharks hunting elephant seals than those little bastards nipping at everyone.

 

[JeffRSpicoli]

Potrero Grande aka Ollie's Point: have surfed there since this intrepid tale:

March or April 2010, was probably my fifth trip there with my buddy and we had it all to ourselves great conditions, ~5'+ with some larger sets. A fantastic set up, again no one else there!

After your ride, paddling back out to the point you would pass directly over this boil of bait fish, well after about an hour, as I am on top of the boil of fish, they all 'jump' out of the water, it sounded like a jet engine had gone off with their tails flapping against the water, I remember vividly, what I think was a skip jack 'skipping' across the water for about 50 yards out to sea so fast!

Having grown up surfing in South Florida, a familiar feeling and familiar with the drill "remain calm and keep hands & feet inside the vehicle" So I am pretty mellow inside and looking from side to side and about 15 or 20 feet away from me this crocodile or caiman surfaces. Seems like 7'-8', feels like a juvenile to me, honestly I remained very calm we looked at each other for some period of time, man I remember her eye, felt like a girl too, pretty green with a cat like slit for a pupil, I turn and slowly paddle back to the take off area, she doesn't follow, so good-bye honey. Get to the take off area and say to my buddy "did you f-in see that! I'm paddling back to the boat!"

Well of course he has no choice but to go back boat as well. He didn't want to, great swell, place to ourselves and over the years you've heard they don't attack humans; which I guess is generally true but....

The locals in boat reiterate the notion that "they won't hurt you, their mellow." So back into the water we go, the plan being to paddle around that area.

I catch a couple of waves, trying to ignore the past event, and after one I ride all the way in, I turn to paddle out and in the upwelling of a large swell there is, no kidding, a LARGE (I would say 12') adult looking croc/caiman swimming in the face of the wave towards my buddy. I yell out to him from the beach, but crashing waves, he can't hear me. Unbeknownst to me he sees it and it is swimming directly at him, he senses it is starting a circling like maneuver around him, a wave comes he catches it and rides it to the beach on his stomach.

Manage to paddle back to the boat, shoot the boat into Playa del Coco, I jump out and run into the 'mercado' for a case of beer, back into the boat for the ride home and man that beer tasted good!!!!

All makes sense if you look at the break there is that river flowing from the estuary into the ocean. Certainly had heard about the one that swims out to the break at Witches Rock.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

So "creepy" basically equals "sharky."

No.

Somehow this thread took that direction though.

With the shark thing, in my experience, if the waves are good and pumping you're not even thinking about it. You can be alone at a notoriously sharky place and it just gets pushed to the back of your mind. Unfortunately sharky waves + good, pumping conditions are a rare thing in CA. So, more fear.

 

[afoaf]

we were in Aptos and the juvies troll the line up back and forth with the fins above water

 

[Sharkbiscuit]

No.

Somehow this thread took that direction though.

With the shark thing, in my experience, if the waves are good and pumping you're not even thinking about it. You can be alone at a notoriously sharky place and it just gets pushed to the back of your mind.

I don't understand what else is creepy other than sharks? Was the answer you were looking for President's Peak, off Epstein Island? I mean I can imagine surfing in the wild Arctic could be creepy, if I didn't have a local with a rifle to drop any polar bears.

Also, for me, it's more to do with the weather. If it's a clear day, and I can see the ripple lines in the sand top to bottom, I feel better. If it's overcast, maybe some fog, maybe some drizzle, it's front and center on my mind. I am pretty sure you don't give half a f--k, but that gloomy, lower visibility thing SCREAMS "throw topwater" at anyone who fishes, because that's when violent, surface polaris attacks are more likely throughout the day vs dawn/dusk.

I can only imagine some of those spots in Northern California, salmon around, seals on the beach, monster trees, monster cliffs, fog/clouds, strong surf, shore partially or completely shrouded behind you, and being out in some lineup with sea stacks a hundred feet tall suddenly popping up out of the gloom as the current pushes you around and out of position, kelpy gurgles and swirls everywhere you look, basically everything you see makes you feel small......

Unfortunately sharky waves + good, pumping conditions are a rare thing in CA. So, more fear.

Between the entire bit from Jalama -> North firing on the regular in Fall/Winter, places that are offshore with a southerly with a storm approaching, and places that are offshore on a NW, then the Channel Islands, I don't buy this.

 

[Chocki]

I don't understand what else is creepy other than sharks? Was the answer you were looking for President's Peak, off Epstein Island? I mean I can imagine surfing in the wild Arctic could be creepy, if I didn't have a local with a rifle to drop any polar bears.

Also, for me, it's more to do with the weather. If it's a clear day, and I can see the ripple lines in the sand top to bottom, I feel better. If it's overcast, maybe some fog, maybe some drizzle, it's front and center on my mind. I am pretty sure you don't give half a f--k, but that gloomy, lower visibility thing SCREAMS "throw topwater" at anyone who fishes, because that's when violent, surface polaris attacks are more likely throughout the day vs dawn/dusk.

I can only imagine some of those spots in Northern California, salmon around, seals on the beach, monster trees, monster cliffs, fog/clouds, strong surf, shore partially or completely shrouded behind you, and being out in some lineup with sea stacks a hundred feet tall suddenly popping up out of the gloom as the current pushes you around and out of position, kelpy gurgles and swirls everywhere you look, basically everything you see makes you feel small......



Between the entire bit from Jalama -> North firing on the regular in Fall/Winter, places that are offshore with a southerly with a storm approaching, and places that are offshore on a NW, then the Channel Islands, I don't buy this.

I was really hoping someone had some additional info on Uvita Island after reading this a long time ago:
“By You wouldn't even believe , 20-12-2002

Reality - --Ask some locals why they don't travel to the island. Better yet, take a boat over there and stay for a night. I'm sure that will be the last night you ever stay there. What the fuck am I talking about? I'll give you a hint.. Thousands of native costa ricans (not ticas) died there back in the wonderful Christopher Columbus days. Lets just say I found out about this the day after I stayed overnight there.“

Also 150 Lepers died there.

 

[Yewstreet]

Anything North of Ano and South of Half Moon Bay is creepy as fvck.

San Clemente Island

Carps

Doing the drive down to waddell I see all these setups with good potential , early weekday mornings and there are random cars off the side of the highway with guys surfing random peaks by themselves. Would not have the stones to do that alone

 

[Yewstreet]

I don't understand what else is creepy other than sharks? Was the answer you were looking for President's Peak, off Epstein Island? I mean I can imagine surfing in the wild Arctic could be creepy, if I didn't have a local with a rifle to drop any polar bears.

Also, for me, it's more to do with the weather. If it's a clear day, and I can see the ripple lines in the sand top to bottom, I feel better. If it's overcast, maybe some fog, maybe some drizzle, it's front and center on my mind. I am pretty sure you don't give half a f--k, but that gloomy, lower visibility thing SCREAMS "throw topwater" at anyone who fishes, because that's when violent, surface polaris attacks are more likely throughout the day vs dawn/dusk.

I can only imagine some of those spots in Northern California, salmon around, seals on the beach, monster trees, monster cliffs, fog/clouds, strong surf, shore partially or completely shrouded behind you, and being out in some lineup with sea stacks a hundred feet tall suddenly popping up out of the gloom as the current pushes you around and out of position, kelpy gurgles and swirls everywhere you look, basically everything you see makes you feel small......



Between the entire bit from Jalama -> North firing on the regular in Fall/Winter, places that are offshore with a southerly with a storm approaching, and places that are offshore on a NW, then the Channel Islands, I don't buy this.

Bears/cougars were a thing during early fall and early spring where I used to live. I would always get nervous walking down the heavily wooded paths before first light with a head lamp.

One morning I saw another guy making his way on the high path to drop his bag off before getting in the water. I was on the low path and could see this large shape moving towards him in the pre-dawn light. Yelled at him to come down to where I was and we both paddled out. Looked back to shore once we were out in the line up and could see a few bears combing the beach right where he was

 

[rowjimmytour]

I was really hoping someone had some additional info on Uvita Island after reading this a long time ago:
“By You wouldn't even believe , 20-12-2002

Reality - --Ask some locals why they don't travel to the island. B letter yet, take a boat over there and stay for a night. I'm sure that will be the last night you ever stay there. What the fook am I talking about? I'll give you a hint.. Thousands of native costa ricans (not ticas) died there back in the wonderful Christopher Columbus days. Lets just say I found out about this the day after I stayed overnight there.“

Also 150 Lepers died there.

Calling bs on this and like I said before in Tortuguero yes big game fishing and remote. I know my wifes nephew recently "last winter" had some nice pics surfing left off Uvita and know in past had hippy camping fest off island.

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[grapedrink]

Point Reyes was the creepiest because if the sharks don't get you, the local hippies will get you for a midsommar festival sacrifice.

Very few things scare me more than a hippie approaching me with a display full of bracelets

 

[Chocki]

Calling bs on this and like I said before in Tortuguero yes big game fishing and remote. I know my wifes nephew recently "last winter" had some nice pics surfing left off Uvita and know in past had hippy camping fest off island.

Envision Festival | February 21-28, 2022 | Uvita, Costa Rica

What do you Envision for our world? Immerse yourself in music, art, yoga, workshops & surfing in Uvita, Costa Rica. Join us in the jungle February 21-28, 2022.

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Different Uvitas. One is on the Pacific side and is an area I knew very well many moons ago.

The other is a supposedly haunted island you can see from Limon with a tasty left.

 

[rowjimmytour]

Different Uvitas. One is on the Pacific side and is an area I knew very well many moons ago.

The other is a supposedly haunted island you can see from Limon with a tasty left.

I am talking about left off island on Carribean side of Costa Rica and trying to find nephews recent surf pics for you.

 

[Chocki]

I am talking about left off island on Carribean side of Costa Rica and trying to find nephews recent surf pics for you.

The hippy fuck fest was on the pacific side. We're talking about the same break. That’s rad your nephew got to surf it. I don’t know if I believe in “ghosts” but I believe in energy and to me it sounds like the place has some real negativity attached to it.

Uvita island - Surfing in Caribbean, Costa rica - WannaSurf, surf spots atlas, surfing photos, maps, GPS location

WannaSurf - Free illustrated atlas of surf spots and surfing worldwide with maps of surf spots, detailed descriptions and photos. All the best weather and forecast maps. An interactive environment provides messages, reports and data editing.

www.wannasurf.com

 

[Chocki]

Very few things scare me more than a hippie approaching me with a display full of bracelets

I’ve found them to be good people to ask where the drugs are.

 

[rowjimmytour]

The hippy fook fest was on the pacific side. We're talking about the same break. That’s rad your nephew got to surf it. I don’t know if I believe in “ghosts” but I believe in energy and to me it sounds like the place has some real negativity attached to it.

Uvita island - Surfing in Caribbean, Costa rica - WannaSurf, surf spots atlas, surfing photos, maps, GPS location

WannaSurf - Free illustrated atlas of surf spots and surfing worldwide with maps of surf spots, detailed descriptions and photos. All the best weather and forecast maps. An interactive environment provides messages, reports and data editing.

www.wannasurf.com

View attachment 96883

Wrong fest but in pazt had camp fezt off island not sure if it still happens. My wife nephew is local "puerto viejo": boogieboarder, photog, skater, and spearfisher. He surfs all over coast and Panama and often captures pics of firing surf.

yiber cortez puerto viejo costa rica - Google Search