Located in San Mateo County, California, Ano Nuevo State Reserve has a sheltered bay with a wedgey right-hand reef that offers up a short and punchy barrel when the conditions line up. The waves here can be challenging to surf and break for up to 100 meters over a rocky bottom. This area is home to multiple seal breeding grounds as well as elephant seal breeding grounds. Sharks are not just common here, this is one of the highest concentrations of great whites in the world. Be Careful. There are some outer exposed reefs that can get really good as well. The big plus is that this bay is sheltered from summer and spring winds.
What are the best surf conditions for Ano Nuevo State Reserve?
Gets good between chest high and double overhead. We recommend riding a shortboard or a step-up here. This break is suitable for intermediate and advanced-level surfers. The surf here is not the most consistent (4/10) and can sometimes be uncrowded although the locals have been known to be a bit grumpy (4/10). The best winds are from the North or Northeast. The best swells are from the South or Southwest. Works on all tides.
We recommend wearing a 4/3 year-round here, maybe a 5/4 in the winter. Water temperatures range from 12 to 15. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.
