# Good Place to Surf and Snowboard



## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

Anybody know where a good place is for surfing and riding. Trying to figure out where I wanna go. I thought Tahoe because of the lake and resorts. I like the whole outdoor, hiking, kayaking, and surfing thing. What's the best place to live for all of this stuff. I don't really know any good resorts near the Cali coast.


----------



## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

New Zealand.


----------



## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

ThunderChunky said:


> I don't really know any good resorts near the Cali coast.



there are none close by. The closest ski resort/beach combo I can think of here in So Cal is Mt Baldy to Laguna Beach, it's about 60 miles between but could take a few hours in traffic. You could even do both in a day, if you had the right wetsuit. I've been in the ocean in Feb and March and it's doable with a 5mm suit. The down side is Baldy is not open very often, it's at 10k but they don't make snow so.....in years like this you're SOL. 


If you only care about riding in the park you'd be in luck as Big Bear is about 3-5 hours away from many beaches. 


Mammoth is going to be about 5-7hours from any beach in either the Central Coast or SoCal. If you're thinking Tahoe, well tack another 3 hours of travel time onto that. Maybe more.


----------



## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

Well I mean surf during summer and snowboard in the winter. I like Tahoe a ton because it has the forest and mountain area, but the coast is like five hours away. Too far for a weekend surf.

edit: Nvm about the five hour thing. Just read your post. I think I might just do Tahoe. Maybe check New Zealand, but anything outside the US is a little out of the question. Looks like just surfing trips to the coast for me.


----------



## fattrav (Feb 21, 2009)

+1 New Zealand. You can Snow board, Downhill MTB, Surf and Skate all in one day if you so desired (thick wet suit is a must). Less than 2 hours drive from mountains to shore. Yeah, I know its a world away from the USA...


----------



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Aside from NZ, in the US, SoCal. I have had several days of surf/skate/snowboard. There are several resorts in socal within 2hours of just about anywhere, even Santa Barbara. You can get both epic, however on average, they can be pretty average.


----------



## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

Where are you snowboarding that is two hours away from Santa Barbara??!? And what roads are you taking to get across the valley? Ok, maaaaaaybe I could see SB to Mtn Hign in two hours but that would be haulin'


If you're talking about China Peak and you made if there from SB there in two hours...Im impressed!

but yeah, all the so cal resorts are kinda meh at best. Don't know about the surfing, I just swim in the ocean.


----------



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

You can get to Mountain Lie  pretty quick from Santa Barbara. I forget the other one we went to sometimes. Been years since I lived there, theres 1 road that cuts across the valley super nice tho, one of my favorite non-coastals in Cali. 

FWIW anything north of Santa Barbara for surf and you are dealing with COLD water. Not cold, FUCKING COLD. You can see the California coast makes a sharp turn at Jalama Beach, about an hour north of Santa Barbara, where the water plunges another 10-15 degrees colder, which makes a huge fucking difference. I've surfed there and north of there in 48degree water, but thats not alot of fun. There is alot of really good surf in central Cal, but it is remote, cold as fuck and requires a certain level of seriousness not unlike BC riding.

edit: its the 126, and I guess its closer to 3 hours, we drove fast


----------



## kctahoe (Nov 14, 2010)

You don't have to live in Tahoe. Where I'm at, Tahoe is an hour and 15 minutes away, and you can get to the coast in about 2-2 1/2 hours. Everything is close enough for day trips.


----------



## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

Depends what you drive...




You should try San Francisco bay area... 2 hours from the surf and 3 from the pow. Lots of rock and forests in between.


----------



## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

probably Waterman or Baldy. Both itty bitty places that don't make snow. Waterman has 1 chair lift IIRC. If you were going SB to Tahoe/Mammoth what road would you cut across (there isn't one that is direct that I know of) but to get from SB to High you probably took pear blossom. Only scenic road I can think of that's not along the coast. 




You'd remember going Big Bear  so it probably wasn't there.


so let's hear about NZ?


----------



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

ThunderChunky said:


> Well I mean surf during summer and snowboard in the winter. I like Tahoe a ton because it has the forest and mountain area, but the coast is like five hours away. Too far for a weekend surf.
> 
> edit: Nvm about the five hour thing. Just read your post. I think I might just do Tahoe. Maybe check New Zealand, but anything outside the US is a little out of the question. Looks like just surfing trips to the coast for me.


Um...sorry for teh back to back post, just noticing ....do you surf already? You understand that in places that have surf, you surf in the winter? This is when the waves come.

Not much else point to the rest of the thread really.

edit. ya we surf in the summer, but its beach time with beers, bbq and j's.


----------



## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

snowklinger said:


> FWIW anything north of Santa Barbara for surf and you are dealing with COLD water. Not cold, FUCKING COLD. You can see the California coast makes a sharp turn at Jalama Beach, about an hour north of Santa Barbara, where the water plunges another 10-15 degrees colder, which makes a huge fucking difference. I've surfed there and north of there in 48degree water, but thats not alot of fun. There is alot of really good surf in central Cal, but it is remote, cold as fuck and requires a certain level of seriousness not unlike BC riding.


QFT I don't surf but I have done a lot of ocean swimming. It's COLD COLD COLD. Sometimes in the summer and even with a wetsuit. Being in sub 50 degree water really, really sucks. Ive only done it a few times (races) and never, ever again. My brother is hard core ocean kayaker and fisher. He wears a dry suit in the winter. 


And I was getting in the water and staying in it, which is much warmer then getting wet then standing on a surfboard in the wind. I've tried to swim near San Luis Obispo and it was way too cold.


----------



## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

Ya, didn't know that. So there's like no waves in the summer? I'm just talking like non-serious surfing. I think I'm best off just taking trips.

Also, I've never surfed before. Just really want to try it. I know it's something I'd love.


----------



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

mixie said:


> QFT I don't surf but I have done a lot of ocean swimming. It's COLD COLD COLD. Sometimes in the summer and even with a wetsuit. Being in sub 50 degree water really, really sucks. Ive only done it a few times (races) and never, ever again. My brother is hard core ocean kayaker and fisher. He wears a dry suit in the winter.
> 
> 
> And I was getting in the water and staying in it, which is much warmer then getting wet then standing on a surfboard in the wind. I've tried to swim near San Luis Obispo and it was way too cold.


Actually, riding a shortboard, you are submerged the whole time you are paddling, and surfing you probably spend more time paddling/riding compared to snowboarding lift/riding and it costs more energy. Sure when you are out of the water surfing, its warmer, but it lasts 30 sec, 2 minutes if you're lucky (I have ridden from teh VERY top of Rincon to the FWY, on overhead surf, which is really fucking long ride in surfing), and thats the part when adrenalin cancels all that shit out anyway. 

You swim in that shit?! Badassssss.


----------



## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

I grew up about 45 min south of Santa Barbra in Ventura so I grew up in the ocean. When you say Rincon I know exactly where you mean. And I figured surfing is colder with the in/out of thw watr. Swimming you get in and stay in! it's the getting back out that sux 

But I don't get in ass cold water any more. I used to do triathlons, and I have been stupid enough to sign up for races in both March and November. The race in November was actually in a lake--46 degrees for a 1500 meter swim!When I got in the water I almost died. When i got out my whole body was so numb I couldn't get my bike shoes on my feet or shift the gears on my bike!! I used to be a badass I guess, Ive gone soft in my old age. 


OP, you should def move to where the boardin' is good and worry about the surf later. We have waves in the summer. 

just know that kook = gaper ; )


----------



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Ya and as I have posted elsewhere, surfing is pretty easy, but catching waves and learning to surf can be pretty difficult, you are dealing with nature in a way that is nothing like mountains, desert or otherwise. Moxie if you know the Goleta pier, I have surfed the USCB point when the waves were breaking through the floorboards of that pier (naming waves sizes is always bullshit). 

OP: Longboarding in the summer isn't too hard to learn but you still have to paddle :cheeky4: <--you'll know what this means when u try 

Also to the OP the waves were like that on like Dec 16-20, I belive it was 1998, although there's always big days to be had...

best image of the end of Goleta pier to represent the idea I could find:


----------



## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

snowklinger said:


> Ya and as I have posted elsewhere, surfing is pretty easy, but catching waves and learning to surf can be pretty difficult, you are dealing with nature in a way that is nothing like mountains, desert or otherwise. Moxie if you know the Goleta pier, I have surfed the USCB point when the waves were breaking through the floorboards of that pier (naming waves sizes is always bullshit). Longboarding in the summer isn't too hard to learn but you still have to paddle :cheeky4: <--you'll know what this means when u try


the ocean can be a cruel mistress much like the mountains. And it's crazy how fast it can turn around on you. Flat as glass one second to crazy white caps the next. As a swimmer I always need to get past the breaks and of course get back in. Ive only been brought back in by lifeguards once, that was when I was a dumb teenager and got stuck in a rip tide.... 

Oh yeah....I love that whole area. Carpinteria is one of my fav beaches, for swimming anyway. Did you go to USCB? I keep telling myself one of these years I'm going to learn to surf but I never do. I just boogie board, body surf, skim board or swim etc. Js and BBQing are a given.


----------



## hawaiinboarder (Mar 4, 2011)

San Diego. Next to the ocean, couple hours from the mountains.


----------



## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

If you don't mind the cold, then Portland in OR, and Port Angeles in WA are both good places for being close to surfing and riding. It's true though, the surf here is good in the winter, and shitty in the summer. You really do need a wetsuit (or even a drysuit). More so than in Cali. You think the ocean is cold in So. Cal, come swim up here in WA at La Push. Then you'll know what cold ocean is.


----------



## Grizz (Nov 10, 2008)

Another vote for PDX. You can do both sports year round with a 90 minutes or less drive. Not bad for wind powered boarding in the summer either. 

SUP surf and you won't care about the water temps or shitty summer waves.


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

idk, but believe on Vancouver Island BC there is mt washington for boarding and tofino for cold water surfing? But surfing here in the hammer...there is not...however practically any other outdoor sport from sailing, river and ocean kayaking, hang gliding, mt biking, dh biking, kite boarding, wind surfing, scuba diving, bouldering and rock climbing, fishing/hunting and river or body rafting....and apparently serial killing is quite popular in the area...at least burying the bodies in the woods .


----------



## Frankyis4 (Jan 18, 2012)

I would probably say it depends on what kind of boarding you do. SoCal isn't that bad of a place. Then if you really want to you can take trips to Mammoth or Tahoe to get some serious boarding in also.


----------



## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

Just to take it back to the NZ sidetrack for a second... I grew up surfing (actually really i'm a lidder (boogieboarder) that rode a longboard sometimes, but whatever :laugh the East coast of the north island but never snowboarded even with a mountain (Ruapehu) about 3.5hrs away.

Down south island has better/bigger mountains but I hear its friggen cold in the water, probably similar to surfing here at the likes of Tofino over on the island as mentioned.

Just for reference the east coast down there gets really nice summer ground swell from tropical cyclones passing to the north. Good memories there!

It's a trade-off really, don't know anywhere that both are on your doorstep. I miss the water like crazy but scoring some sweet riding here in BC makes up for it for sure :thumbsup:


----------



## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Frankyis4 said:


> I would probably say it depends on what kind of boarding you do. SoCal isn't that bad of a place. Then if you really want to you can take trips to Mammoth or Tahoe to get some serious boarding in also.


Yup, depends on how much and how serious your snowboarding action is. The thing about San diego (and OC/LA) is if you're not in the mountains during the winter, it's fucking nice out 80% of the time. 70-80F days sprinkled throughout the winter. At worst you need a sweater. There are days you may need a jacket.

We are stuck with Bear and Snow Summit. Great for park riding and the occasional jaunt. It's cheap to fly to tahoe/SLC/Denver with southwest (who also don't charge you for snowboard bags).

If snowboarding is #1 though, I'd have to go with Tahoe then killing yourself at Mavericks :laugh: The terrain at squaw and alpine meadows  fun


----------



## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

jdang307 said:


> The thing about San diego (and OC/LA) is if you're not in the mountains during the winter, it's fucking nice out 80% of the time. 70-80F days sprinkled throughout the winter. At worst you need a sweater. There are days you may need a jacket.




and if you're not near the beach it's hotter then hell in the summer. But people in So Cal have their own ideas of what "hot" and "cold" is. 


Before I started snowboarding I pretty much refused to leave the house if it was under 50 degrees outside. :laugh: I always thought beanies, scarves and gloves were merely fashion accessories. I had no idea they actually served a purpose :dunno:



which should tell you it's not the place to be if snowboarding is your top priority!


----------

