California features a variety of surfing spots and Maverick Surf Spot in Half Moon Bay is among one of the most impressive. You'll find this break 2 miles away from Pillar Point north of Half Moon Bay at the village of Princeton-By-The-Sea. The wave at Mavericks gets its shape from the underwater rock formations and caves.

The best massive wave surfers around the world arrive to Maverick as a winter destination. These surfers are the hellmen who are willing and brave enough to face the conditions at Mavericks. Depending on the swells and conditions, there's a contest there once a year however it's invite only.

Maverick got its name from a German Shepherd named Maverick, after the roommate of his owner and his 2 friends tried to surf within the waves off Pillar Point in 1961. He was with them because it was a customary for him to swim with either his owner or his owner's friend after they went out to catch a wave. Though they left the dog on the shores of the beach, he started to follow them out them out into the ocean. However, as a result of the unsafe conditions of the water, they took him back to the bumper of the car before rejoining  his friends within the water. These surfers failed to have success surfing that day though because the waves were simply too dangerous for them. They name the surf location after the dog since he appeared to have much more fun then they did that day. At first it was called Mavericks Point but was later shortened to just Maverick's.

Mavericks only has a few events a year and they typically attract large crowds that want to witness the big-wave surfing contests firsthand.  This doesn't happen anymore because environmental and safety issues have rendered it not safe for spectators to be there anymore.

Mavericks is not easily seen from land. As such, it remained a mystery to the public until early 1990's. Approximately 1/2 mile offshore is where the waves typically break many times in shadow of the Air Force Station of the Pillar Point making it virtually invisible from Highway 1 or any of the streets that neighbor it. A walking path is the sole access by land to Mavericks. Additionally, once you get to the shoreline, all you typically can see is a huge rock and the whitewash of previous waves that were once massive themselves.

Leave your beginner surfboards at home, big wave guns and tow boards are the only thing that work here....

If you're trying to seek out the best surf spot in California, then Trestles in Orange County is that place. Trestles is named after the train tracks that run the gamut of the San Mateo lagoon that's on the beach.  In contrast to how it was used before where Trestles wasn't opened to everybody, currently anyone can catch a wave there on their favorite shortboard surfboards; these surfboards might have been confiscated in the past.

Albeit there's an absence of amenities on the beach of Trestles; no showers, bathrooms or snack bars are there. However, the good waves that are on that beach makes one ignore those things and focus on the numerous locations that are there for you to surf.  This can be attributed to the very fact that it's accepts a variety of different swell angles and this makes for a large variety of surfable waves.

The most well known section of referred to as Lower Trestles or just Lowers. This spot attracts waves from a variety of various directions. When there's the summer southern hemisphere swells, this is often the time when the waves are breaking at their best. At this time, the waves go both left and right however the right is typically provides a longer ride than the left.  This is often where several amateur as well as many professional contests for surfing are held. When there's a summer swell, there are typically many surfers attempting to catch the perfectly shaped waves rolling through Lower Trestles.

The other main break is Upper Trestles located to the north of the Lower Trestles and has nice exposure to the southwest, northwest, and also west swells. However, this spot for surfing breaks equally as nice in the wintertime and summer.  Since this wave breaks and rolls down a point, the crowd can spread out more then at Lowers.  The correct swell can light this point up and give you 100 yard rides with plenty of face time.  Both Lowers and Uppers are breaks that are geared more towards shortboard surfboards but longboard surfboards and funboard surfboards will work as well.

Additionally, There is Church's, Cottons as well as Middle Trestles. These are 3 other alternative locations for surf breaks within the Trestles location. Middle Trestles and Church's are south of Lower Trestles. They're nice surf spots on their own. As such, they assist to absorb a number of the crowd from the Lower Trestles as well as from Upper Trestles. You may also notice Cottons to the way north of Upper Trestles. It's not as quick with respect to wave speed.  However, it connects to the inside wave creating a rampy left with a large shoulder  and this makes it very fun for surfers no matter age. To the south of Trestles, is another excellent break called San Onofre which is great for longboard surfboards.  We will review this break in the next installment of Surf Spot Breakdown and explain why it is the best option for beginner surfboards. 

We get this question all the time and wanted to address, “Is a Retro Fish Surfboard a good choice for a beginner”.  There is no simple answer.  If you are referring to a 6'0" 190 lbs person who is trying to ride a 5'10" retro fish, the answer is no.  If you are referring to a 5'7" 150 lbs person who is considering a 6'10" retro fish, the answer might be yes.  There are many factors to consider when looking at retro fish surfboards.  We believe this shape is the best for surfers who have gotten through the fresh beginner stage are looking to move to a smaller board. 

We highly recommend retro fish surfboards for those who are comfortable catching waves with a funboard, mini-longboard, or longboard and are looking to move down to more of a shortboard feel.  Retro fish surfboards are great as transitional boards because they still offer the responsiveness of a shortboard but have the paddle power of the longer board.  Typical thicknesses of retro fish surfboards range from 2-3/4” – 3-1/4” which provide the ease of paddle characteristic. 

Choosing a beginner board is always stressful but it doesn’t have to be.  To receive a custom recommendation on beginner surfboards please contact us at info@equinoxsurfboards.com.

Choosing your first beginner surfboard comes with a lot of anxiety.  What shape is best for me?  Which surfboard will help me learn faster?  These are common questions that people encounter when choosing their first surfboard.  Choosing beginner surfboards doesn’t have to be that stressful.  This guide will assist you in buying the best board for your (1) height / weight (2) athletic ability and (3) surfing goal.  Take into consideration each person is different and the best beginner surfboard might not be the same for all people.  We should be able to get you on the correct board and surfing in no time at all.    

 After reading the below information click this LINK for the beginner surfboards from Equinox.

Height / Weight

These two factors are very important in choosing the right board.  A 250 lbs guy who is learning doesn’t need the same board as an 85 lb girl.  Although there is no definitive rule, it is broken down as follows:

Now this is only our starting point. I’ll take you through other factors a beginner will want to keep in mind. 

Athletic Ability 

Be honest with yourself on this one.  If you are one of envied people who pick up most new sports with ease, you might have the ability to go a little bit shorter on length.  There are some people that just pick up surfing but the VAST majority has to work at it.  Many years ago, I was one of those people who over estimated their ability and bought a board to short cause that’s what my friends had.  I made the mistake of an uninformed beginner.  A few months later I bought more fitting size and was able to learn much quicker.  If you pick up other related sports easy, then you might want to lean towards the shorter choice from the recommendations above.  Beginner surfboards are just that, beginner surfboards.  You will have the opportunity to move down in size once you are comfortable with your first board.

Surfing Goal 

When I first started surfing, the idea of where I wanted to be in 1, 3, 10 years was taken into consideration.  If you desire on being a weekend surfer and will be casually taking out a longboard, I would stick to the larger size range.  If you would like to be surfing a shortboard as soon as possible, I would stick to the smaller sizes.  This is up for you to determine.  Beginner Surfboards are always easy to sell so if you progress at a faster pace, you can always recoop some cash for you new shortboard. 

Misconceptions:

-Performance shortboards are good beginner surfboards – This is simple not true.  Although your friend rides one, doesn’t mean you should be.  Shortboards are designed as high performance boards for people with experience.  Progressing to this shape is a process.  Get comfortable on a larger board and work your way down to a smaller one.  You’re learning curve will be much short if you choose the correct beginner surfboard.  Beginner Surfboards are designed to be forgiving while shortboards and other smaller shapes are not.  

-Soft Boards (Foam boards) are a great tool to get started – Partially True.  Foam boards are a good choice to get started but typically they fall apart or get waterlogged within a few months.  They also hinder your ability level once you progress past the very first steps of surfing. 

-“I can snowboard and skateboard, I should be able to pick surfing up easily” – Not necessarily.  Although it helps, just because you can snowboarded and skateboard for years doesn’t mean you know how to surf.  They are different sports and you shouldn’t go with a shortboard because your friend has one.  Learning how the ocean works and where you have to be to catch a wave is one of the biggest challenges when starting and have past board sport experience doesn’t help with this. 

I hope this guide makes you a little bit more confident in choosing the best beginner surfboards.  Although taking advise from your friend who has surfed for 20 years is helpful always remember one simple idea.  Going with a little larger board will help you learn faster.  Whether a retro fish surfboard, funboard surfboard, mini-longboard, or longboard surfboard, we’ll help you get out there in no time at all to catch your first waves.  You’ll be Kelly Slater in no time at all….

 If you need a custom recommendation please contact us at info@equinoxsurfboards.com

A day at one of the world's best lefts with Marc Lacomare, Alain Riou & Aritz Aranburu.

Song- Mt Eden Dubstep - Sierra Leone

Shot & Edited- Jimmy Graham/FMG

Additional Footage- Jason Hearn