New to the central cali area and have been aout of the water for about 3 years now. I’m looking for someone who knows the ropes and wouldn’t mind having a 23 yr old grom tag along.
I’m in the MOnterey area… where are you?
Les
I live just north of Sacramento in a town called Yuba City. I’m planning sometime running out to the coast and heading down Hwy 1 to find some spots.
I raced motocross at least 20 races a year at Marysville’s E Street and Riverfront Parks. Also did Prairie City, Hangtown, and Sacramento Raceway. Did it from Novice to Expert, took 6 years.
Nearest surf for you is OceanBeach, SanFrancisco…about 1.5 hours. I lived 3 blocks from Taraval St., OB.
Usually blown out, foggy, and cold (right now, 57degrees, water temp 54, foggy, 3-4.5’ waves), nearest cleaner beginner surf is PedroPt. 11 miles S.
Yes, it’s hard to believe, knowing you are in 94 degree heat summers, but the coldest winter you will EVER spend is a summer in SanFrancisco.
You can hang a right out 37 to Novato, then to Bolinas, Drakes, Limantour, but it’s about 2.25 hours from your home. Same with Doran at Bodega, 12 takes forever and a day.
With all due respect, my first piece of advice is to not call it Cali. Californians tend to call California California.
With that said, welcome to Cali. 
Sorry to break the news, but Sacramento is Northern California, not central. Montery would be the farthest north most people would consider Central California. Yuba City is definetely Northern California.
DB
Actually, Central California ends at the Golden Gate Bridge. On the other side is Northern California.
per Bank Wright, who has researched this state more than any of us.
Not that this part of Sean’s (biocorrect) thread is very ineteresting, but lots of people who live in the San Joaquin & Sacramento River watersheds, even as far north as Yuba River, call their locale Central California. Maybe you Southern California Surf guys associate “Central” with the Pacific Coast rather than the great Central Valley that runs from Bakersfield all the way past Redding. I lived in Modesto, Fresno, Sacramento for 20+ years. Now I’m on Oahu, where folks in Kahala take offense when Mainlanders think they live in Kaimuki or Palolo. Soem people are more particular than others about the lingo.
Wise Surfboards at Ocean Beach, SF, can clue in good Northern California spots. Those Taraval Boys are friendlier than they seem at first. And you can always count on Swalocks Forum for good connections. Happy Hunting…
Thanks for the tip. I’ll head that way this weekend. Hopefully I’ll find a spot not too crowded
Don’t forget your 4/3 wetsuit, and booties for surfing, and a longsleeved jacket, levi’s and shoes for walking around the beach district.
Predictions are for increasing NW winds…and still only shoulder high swell.
thought and thought…this poor soul may have confused central by using an east west orientation criterion…Traditionally Bio,the state originally settled by american vagabonds were of a north south attitude brought with them from "back East"both before the civil war and after.The loyalties set aside sure but the undercurrents of folkways and life styles persisted…since the time of statehood ,hastened because of the discovery of gold,the push to split the state at point conception into two states has been an ongoing controversy…southern california has the population …northern california has the resources (water lumber farm land= gross product) now this central california term has gained popularity with southern californians trying to reestablish an Identity that does not carry the stigmata established by the aggressivly developed Los Angeles basin …from east to west the Yuba is somwhat central indeed but the mind set is oriented otherwise…oh yea the people from sacremento in the surfing community have traditionally lied and pretended to be from somewhere on the coast…often the beach they most frequently visit on the coast ,like guys from Roseville being from Santa Cruz…or guys from Visitation Valley being from Pedro…ambrose…former Pedro regular
Thank you for pointing out my geographic mistakes. The title is Central California…I live outside Sacramento…9 hours to the Mexico, 6 1/2 hours to Oregon. Somewhat Central. Who cares. I’m look for spots that someone who’s never surfed west coast waves, much less only the shore break off the Gulf of Mexico when the winds and current act just right and also looking for some people who wouldn’t mind a pretty much 23 yr old grom hanging around with them.
Any surf has gotta look good, great. Looking is more than half the fun till you find it, then the search is nothing compared to the find.
Home Waters. Is where you find them, where you feel them, yeah?
Who can say why or how?
And I keep remembering a line by songwriter Hugh Presswood about Oz, “Dorothy could have stayed.”
Just drop by any of the surfshops at the local breaks.
There’s one surfshop in Bodega Bay, E side.
There’s one surfshop in Bolinas.
There’s 3 surfshops in SanFrancisco
There’s 2 surfshops in PedroPt.
There’s 3 surfshops in Half Moon Bay.
There’s 1 surfshop in DavenportLanding.
There’s at least 7 surfshops in Santa Cruz
The subject of what and what is not Central, Southern, or Northern California has been discussed for decades and I’m sure no one will settle it in this thread. Yes, I think we all agree that Yuba City is pure NorCal. But, Central California…?
For my part, and I think I speak for the bulk of CC surfers, the borders of Central California (physically, culturally, karmically, and emotionally) are Pt. Conception on the south (yes, Jalama is in Central California), and Pt. Sur is the northern border. Anything above that is NorCal. I don’t care how many shoe repair shops, car washes, or real estate brokers you can find in Monterey that call themselve ‘Central California XXXX’, they’re NorCal. They shoulda asked a veteran surfer before they named their business.
It’s about way more than pure phyicality. We don’t want SoCal creeping up on us from the south, and we sure don’t want NorCal sliding on down on us from the north. Central California is not an entity with movable borders. And yes, we do own Willow Creek and Plaskett Creek, thanks for asking and please remember who’s the visitor.