Our Favorite Carlsbad Surf Spots

We are fortunate to call Carlsbad our backyard. Whether we are demoing new boards or chasing swells, these are our favorite surf spots in Carlsbad that hit close to home.

5 Favorite Surf Spots in Carlsbad 

Within a few short miles of coastline, Carlsbad has reef breaks, beach breaks and point breaks. Pretty much, something for every style and level of surfer. Five of our favorite local breaks are listed below! 

Terra Mar

We are lucky enough to have a point break in Carlsbad. Terra Mar Point is best for slow, longboard peelers. It’s a great break to learn or just for a fun cruising session. On the flip side, Terra Mar is one of the few breaks that doesn’t wall up when it’s firing. It’s surfable here up to double overheard making it a go to wave of choice on big, epic swells.

You can find Terra Mar Point slightly South of Cannon Road exit from the I-5.

Tamarack

Tamarack is a shifty beach break. The sandbars here create peaky waves year-round. However, we prefer Tamarack in the summertime since it holds a good South swell. Look for a nice right breaking off the Southern end of the river mouth.

Tamarack is part of the Carlsbad State Beach. You can find it almost directly across from Vigilucci’s Steak + Seafood along the Coast Highway. 

Warm Water Jetties

This break gets its name from the power plant that used to be across the street known for pumping warm water into the Ocean. While the power plant is no longer here, you can still find a set of jetties.

This wave is a peaky beach break like Tamarack. However, the jetties offer more structure allowing waves to peel off it, especially rights. Find surfers taking on this challenging, fast breaking wave year-round but most commonly in summer. 

Warm water is North of Terra Mar and Cannon Road.

Turnarounds

While not always the best wave, Turnarounds is frequently one of the less crowded waves. For this reason, we love surfing here for light crowds and sharing waves with less surfers.

Turnarounds is a beach break with no single defined breaking point. This is great because surfers can spread out along the beach, making it even more chill to go surfing here. 

To find it, it's just off Palomar Airport Road located beneath the bluffs of a large dirt parking lot.

Ponto

It’s difficult to mention surfing in Carlsbad without talking about Ponto. Ponto also has a set of jetties like Warm Waters. However, Ponto is largely recognized as one of the better waves in Carlsbad. You can surf off both sides of the jetty depending on the swell. Waves are fast and powerful, so it’s not recommended for beginners.

Try your skill surfing here in summer for the opportunity to catch some amazing waves. However, beware of crowds. Ponto is notorious for dense crowds and high-level surfing when the waves are good. 

You can find Ponto Jetties at South Ponto State Beach due slightly North of La Costa Avenue.

Other Waves in San Diego

While these are some of our favorite surf spots in Carlsbad, check out more waves in this complete guide to surfing in San Diego.

Surfboard Recommendations for Carlsbad 

The many waves of Carlsbad each have their own character depending on the season and swell. It’s difficult to choose one board but if we had to choose one to conquer them all, it would be the Poacher. If you are looking for a forgiving board, the Poacher along with the rest of the boards in Degree 33’s epoxy soft top lineup will be just right for you.

If you are unsure about what board you should get for the right conditions, contact us at surf@degree33.com or give us a call at 800-920-2363.

Written by Gavin Bechtold @gosurfsandiego