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Ocean Kayaking / Sea Kayaking / SUP Stand Up Paddle Boarding Places To Paddle And Launch A Kayak And Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) In Orange County California
-Perfect Paddles Travel Brief-
Best Time of Year to Visit:
The best travel time for California is from May to September. In these months it is sunny, warm and the likelihood of rain is very low. April and October are also good months for a Californian getaway! For holidaymakers who can't stand high temperatures, I would recommend avoiding the period from July to August. (www.holidayguru.ie)
Average Temperature:
Much of California has a Mediterranean-like climate with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. On the coast, the average daily high temperature hovers around 70°F and up, but can occasionally spike to 80°F or more on hottest summer days; freezing temperatures are rare, even in winter. (www.visitcalifornia.com)
SUP Environments to Paddle In
Rivers
Lakes
Marinas
Bay
Ocean
SUP Activity Highlights:
Excursions
Tours
Wildlife Tours
Eco-Tours
Glow Paddles
SUP Yoga
Wildlife Paddles:
Orange County is truly a beautiful place. And easily one of the best places to experience all types of marine wildlife including dolphins, seals, whales, manta rays, and more! To get in on a wildlife paddle, use our Locations/Activities guide HERE!
SUP Surf Spots (source here)
Before heading out, please be honest with your skills and surfing abilities. These breaks are often crowded and need proper care before heading into the lineup!
Trestle Beach: Located at the southern tip of Orange County, Trestles is home to some of the best surf spots around. Upper, Lower, and Middle Trestles are frequently visited by experienced surfers who enjoy hollow, powerful waves. With its world-class wave quality, Lower Trestles (Lowers) holds a professional surfing contest every year along with NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) Nationals. As a local favorite, Trestles can be a little crowded, but if you are courteous and respectful to other surfers, you will definitely enjoy your time on these waves.
T-Street Beach: Just south of the San Clemente Pier, T-Street is friendly to surfers of all levels. T-Street gets its name from a “T” shaped pedestrian overpass that allows foot traffic to safely cross the railroad tracks. The San Clemente High School Surf Team is no stranger to T-Street, as they practice there during winter months to maintain their position as one of the best high school surf teams in the nation. Because surfing is so popular here, T-Street is “blackballed” between the hours of 9 AM and 6 PM in the summer, meaning only swimming and boogie boarding is allowed at that time. T-Street’s distant reef produces a consistent frequency that is enjoyable for all levels of surfing.
Doheny Beach: Located in Dana Point, Doheny Beach offers great surfing at its northern end. Doheny is the prime spot for beginner surfers or for those who are looking to catch a less powerful wave. This surf spot is best for longboarding and promises to give some of the longest rides in Orange County.
Laguna Beach, Brooks Street: One of the biggest breaks in Laguna Beach, Brooks Street is a local favorite. South swells attract many experienced surfers and provide long, powerful waves that start breaking out at the reef. Low tides can expose sharp rocks and surfers should use caution when paddling out and know how to surf a rocky bottom. Brooks Street is home to the oldest surf contest in the world. The Brooks Street Surfing Classic was started in 1955 and holds the title of the world’s longest-running surf contest.
The Wedge: Located at the east end of the Balboa Peninsula, The Wedge is a local favorite for surfing, skimboarding, bodyboarding, and bodysurfing. The wedge-shaped waves are a result of the rock jetty that lies on the west side of Newport Harbor. The hollow, fast waves can be very large and unpredictable, even for experienced surfers. Waves reflected off the jetty meet up with incoming waves, making them several feet larger than those in surrounding surf areas. The Wedge is blackballed between the hours of 10 AM and 5 PM from May through October, making it a bodyboarding hotspot during the summer months.
Newport Beach, 56th Street: One of the most popular surf spots in Newport Beach, 56th Street is great for pro and amateur surfers alike. Stable wave sections and line-ups add to the overall quality of the surf spot. Hollow waves and a sandy bottom make 56th Street one of the best spots in Newport to catch a wave when surf conditions are good.
Huntington Beach Pier: One of the world’s most iconic surf spots, Huntington Beach offers miles of beach break waves. Located at PCH and Main St, the Huntington Beach Pier area is a classic every surfer should experience. Known as “Surf City, ” Huntington Beach annually holds one of the largest surf competitions in the world, the U.S. Open of Surfing, on the south side of the pier. From beginner surfers to experienced professionals, Huntington Beach Pier is a favorite spot among Orange County surfers.
Perfect Paddles Deals to Get Your Ready for Your Trip:
RHEOS (Floating) Sunglasses- 15% off with Member Benefits
Duk Gear- 20% off a waterproof cell phone case with Member Benefits
Check out more of our gear options HERE!
Interested in any of these extra activities? Be sure to head HERE to find a list of paddle pros in the area and what they offer!
Additional Attractions (source here):
Southern California is home to some of the best places to visit on the coast including Hollywood and countless beaches! Let’s discover some more!
Disneyland Resort: The Disneyland Resort, commonly known as Disneyland, is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California.Disney California Adventure Park: Disney California Adventure Park, commonly referred to as Disney California Adventure, California Adventure, or DCA, is a theme park located in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division.
Newport Beach: Newport Beach, a coastal city in southern California, is known for its large, boat-filled harbor. Balboa Peninsula has 2 piers, Newport Beach Pier and Balboa Pier, plus the Balboa Fun Zone, an old-school amusement park with a Ferris wheel and ocean views. Local beaches include the Wedge, known for its big waves, and Corona del Mar State Beach. The Orange County Museum of Art exhibits modern and contemporary works.
Heisler Park: This beach area offers artsy park benches, sculptures, ocean views, rocky shores & tide pools.
Balboa Island Ferry: The Balboa Island Car Ferry is a ferry service in Newport Beach, California. The ferry boats travel under 1,000 feet from Balboa Island to the Balboa Peninsula and vice versa, reaching a top speed of four miles per hour.
Huntington Beach Pier: The Huntington Beach Pier is a municipal pier located in Huntington Beach, California, at the west end of Main Street and west of Pacific Coast Highway. At 1,850 feet in length, it is one of the longest public piers on the West Coast.
For reference, be sure to check out our Perfect Paddles Activities map! For Southern California, you will find it below:
Perfect Paddles Shops/Outfitters Near the Locations:
1. Paddle Method: Marina Del Rey (Buddy Deal)
2. Goff Tours: Laguna Beach (Buddy Deal)
3. Bliss Paddle Yoga: Newport Beach (Buddy Deal)
4. Paddle Sports Center: Santa Barbara (Buddy Deal)
5. Sunset Standup Paddle: Laguna Beach (Buddy Deal)
6. SUP with Wade: San Pedro
Buddy Deals: Don’t forget to take advantage of our fantastic Buddy Deals for exclusive discounts for our members! To become a member head HERE.Listed from north to south, the following areas to kayak and stand up paddle board and canoe are located in Orange County California:
HUNTINGTON HARBOR - Huntington Beach
Huntington Harbor in Huntington Beach has several convenient places to launch. Paddle by the yachts and in canals between the large houses, Not much of the nearby large wetland reserve is accessible for exploration because it is part of the seal beach naval weapons station. (You are not allowed to access the open ocean from Huntington Harbor when you are paddling a kayak, standup paddleboard, canoe, or other personal watercraft. The access to the open ocean passes through the Naval Weapons Center.)Pictures of Huntington Harbor:Huntington Beach on the open ocean tends to have VERY LARGE SURF and a long paddle out through the surf. In the summer, the surf at Bolsa Chica State Beach tends to be a little bit smaller and less powerful than the rest of Huntington Beach. Very experienced SUP surfers, kayakers, and surf ski enthusiast may enjoy the surf - be careful!
UPPER NEWPORT BAY (NEWPORT BACK BAY)
Upper Newport Bay is a protected wetland which is an excellent area to paddle for canoe, stand up paddle board (SUP) and kayak. Upper Newport Bay is sometimes called the Back Bay.Paddling is an excellent way to bird watch in the Back Bay. Gliding along on the water here it's possible to get within a few feet of many of the wide variety of birds that live here.
NEWPORT HARBOR / NEWPORT BEACH / CORONA DEL MAR / CRYSTAL COVE
Newport Harbor in Newport Beach, has many places where it's fairly easy to launch a SUP, canoe or kayak. The parking at many spots is free. However, sometimes it's hard to find an available spot so you may need to drop off your canoe or kayak and park a ways from where you launch.You can either stay within the harbor or paddle outside the harbor.Pictures of Newport Beach / Newport Harbor / Corona Del Mar / Crystal Cove:I describe the launch for my favorite Newport Harbor paddle out to Arch Rock in Corona Del Mar here. I also have a Newport Beach SUP and Kayak page with additional launch spots located in Newport Harbor and other places in Newport Beach.LAGUNA BEACH
Laguna Beach has many coves and wonderful rock formations which are beautiful to paddle by. Normally the surf is smaller in Laguna than at other surrounding areas which makes the beach entries required here fairly easy on a day with no major swell.
You can paddle along the rocky coast and land in a secluded cove for lunch. The City of Laguna Beach is kayak friendly, it's legal to launch and land on any of the beaches.
The diving and snorkeling can also be excellent in Laguna, I often snorkel from a kayak here.Pictures of Laguna Beach:SALT CREEK
From Salt Creek Beach Park, you can either paddle north past Three Arch Bay in Laguna Beach or South around Dana Point. Both directions have beautiful scenery and are worthwhile.The surf here usually breaks a little ways from shore and when no major swell is present usually isn't too powerful.Salt Creek Beach Park has meter parking and a fairly long ramp down to the beach. A bit far to carry a kayak but not to bad for a SUP.Dana Point Harbor has a very easy launch spot from a sandy beach where there is free and pay parking. You can paddle around the scenic harbor with it's pretty cliffs and also paddle out of the harbor around Dana Point. You can also launch from Doheny Beach.Pictures of Dana Point:No Records Found
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Orange
California
92868
United States
- Location Info Guide