Santa Monica Beach North

📍 Local Knowledge

Santa Monica Beach North in North Los Angeles County is an exposed beach break over a sand bottom, offering consistent, approachable surf—best conditions typically arrive in fall and winter. Offshore winds from the northwest help groom clean runs off southwest and northwest swells, producing a mix of both left‑ and right‑hand waves peeling off wide, shifting sandbars. The spot works across all tide stages, though mid to high tide often provides the most organized lines, and it remains moderately popular thanks to its long, open beach and multiple peaks. Surfers should watch out for rip currents, unpredictable sandbar shifts, and busy swimmer traffic. The most consistent clean waves occur in winter—especially December through February.