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Laguna Beach My hometown just happens to be where it all began. There are many reasons why skimboarding has taken off in this small Southern California community, and one of them is the quality of the waves. There aren't many, if any places on earth that can compete with Laguna in terms of quality skimboarding. So what are you waiting for? Get out there! Aliso Recommended  One
of the best skimming spots in Laguna Beach is Aliso. Aliso is best known
for its powerful shore break, however Aliso also has two inconsistent
sidewashes. One at the south end and one at the north end (Treasure
Island). If you do
travel to Aliso, however, do not expect to be riding sidewash. It
doesn't happen very often and when it does it is very crowded. Aliso
works year round but is usually best in the fall and spring. High tide is
usually best in the winter while low tide is usually best in the summer.
In the spring and fall it varies a lot, which is one reason why it is a
good time to skim there. It catches swells from any direction but
usually works best on a south. Aliso is
Aliso is also host to the 'unofficial' World Skimboarding Championships
every summer.
Aliso is very easy to get to. From the north travel south on Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) past downtown Laguna Beach. You will eventually come to a big dip in the road and on your right will be Aliso. It is marked not only by the only pier (or what is left of it) in but also a sign in front of the parking lots. The nearest major cross street is 'Wesley' (it has a stoplight) which is located just to the north of the parking area. Follow the same procedure from the south. Aliso is one of the biggest beaches in Laguna so it shouldn't be hard to find. Metered parking is available on both sides of Pacific Coast Highway as well as free parking along the hill on the side of Pacific Coast Highway. As of the winter of 98/99 Aliso pier is gone. It is still very easy to find. Submitted by webmaster@skimonline.com 10th/9th Street Recommended Tenth Street is another great skim spot in Laguna Beach. It is best known for its sidewashes and the world class skimboarders that have made tenth street their home. Tenth Street and Ninth Street are accessible by the same stairs. Ninth street is usually a straight wave but also 'sometimes' gets a sidewash off the rock at the south end. Both spots are better in the summer and fall months and work best on a high tide. Sometimes the tide gets too high for tenth street but not very often. Since many of the best skimmers in the world hang out at tenth street, competition for waves is fierce and newcomers usually don't get opportunities to skim waves off the main sidewash. There are also many bodyboarders at 10th that the skimmers have to deal with. Both 9th and 10th are amazing breaks and probably the most consistent in Laguna during the summer months.Tenth street is at the far south end of Laguna Beach. On some maps it may actually be in 'South Laguna'. To get to it you must walk down a long flight of stairs at ninth street. Just get yourself onto Pacific Coast Highway 1 and find 9th street. At the bottom of the stairs is 9th street (obviously) and if you walk left (south) around the point, that will get you to tenth street. Submitted by
webmaster@skimonline.com Thalia Recommended Thalia Street is a little surf spot in town that also offers some fun skimboarding. The waves there are not the crazy death pits you will find at some other beaches in Laguna. Thalia is a great place to hang out at during the summer months because there are just so many people around (locals). The skimming is usually best in the summer and fall but can also get good in the spring. It always works at high tide. Thalia Street beach is not mysteriously located at Thalia street, just south of downtown. It should be on any map that you buy. Submitted by webmaster@skimonline.com Sleepy Hollow Sleepy Hollow is a great spot that is well known to a few but not to the masses. It breaks much like Thalia which is not surprising given that it is very nearby. There is a surf break on the outside which sometimes goes off, reeling right onto the shore where skimborders can pick off a few fun ones. It works mainly on mid to high tides and usually only in the spring summer and fall. To get there you can just walk north from Thalia about half a mile over the rocks, or you can use the stairs on Cleo street (where Taco Bell is) and walk north a little ways. Submitted By: webmaster@skimonline.com Victoria and Lagunita (pronounced Loganita) Victoria and Log usually work best at high tide but you can pull off some good rides at low tide. I usually only skim it in the spring and summer so I wouldn't know what its like in the winter and fall. The crowds can get pretty big if there's a volleyball tourney going on but the crowds are mostly made up of spectators and locals, so there isn't much competition for waves. Victoria can usually only be skimmed on in the spring, fall, and winter because the lifeguards won't let you skim there. That's when me and my friends go down to Loganita which is usually not very crowded and is virtually the same beach. The two beaches are divided only by "Two Rock" which is a large rock close into shore, this is what the lifeguards consider the border between skimming and swimming. Log can get a little surge or sider off of "Two Rock" but there isn't usually much but nice shorebreak! If your heading south just take a right at Nyes Pl., there's a stoplight there and a restaurant called "Dizz's As Is", which I recommend. After taking a left take the first left after that and head under the tunnel then take the first left after that. You will head down a steep street and there will be a gated community off to left and a lifeguard ramp down to the beach. If your heading North, just turn right at Nyes Pl. and fallow the above directions after that. To get to Loganita just head south down the beach and you'll see "Two Rock" out in the surf and once you pass that your at Loganita! Submitted By: Pack_Rat@homestead.com Emerald Bay A big stretch of beach. Emerald Bay is a
gated community, but once you get past the gate it's a pretty fun break.
Works always at high tide, and year 'round. Usually big powerful
wraps are the most fun rides there. North on PCH, about 5 minutes north of downtown. It is inbetween Laguna Beach and Corona Del Mar Submitted By:
btcls@home.com Three Arch Bay There are three different spots to hit. The south
side of the beach, "middles", and the north side of the beach.
It works at both low and high tides and is a super fun break at a really
high tide with a nice swell. Its a gated community, but once you get
past it, the beach is killer. I highly recommend it if you want to learn
to skim or get even better. Its off Pacific coast highway and the cross street
is Vista del Sol. Its right by the Shell station. Its very simple to
find. Crescent Bay All i know about Crescent Bay is that the crowds
are fairly thin, so it is easy to get a lot of skiming done.also, the
rocks by where the skimming area is provide a small sidewash. The bay is is in northern Laguna Beach, and is at the bottom of a fairly steep cliff.up the street from the entrance is a Circle K convenient store.There is no specified parking, just parking along the houses.Skimboards are allowed, but no finned boards. Submitted By: Quiksilver51287@aol.com
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