The Cardiff and San Elijo state-beach pages provide separate official references. San Elijo’s guide describes the reef and narrow bluff-backed sand; the exact wave and approach still depend on the named entry. Compare the same forecast hour, check the tide curve and observe the breaking section. Preserve useful firsthand knowledge without assuming every neighboring break inherits the same numerical profile.
The inherited spot descriptions below have their own provenance and uncertainty. This context update does not independently verify every takeoff, access status or historical claim.
Regional significant wave height and modeled breaking-face height are different quantities. Check each source and unit label.
Reef / point / Beginner–intermediate
Cardiff Reef
The classic cobbly Cardiff reef.
Reported direction
Right-dominant
General swell window
S–W
Reported tide preference
Low–mid
Bottom
Rock / reef
A friendly but iconic right zone with useful shoulders and supporting peaks. Source note: Imported 6.8 catalogue; place and confirm the takeoff.
Things to check: Currents, crowding, submerged rock or cobble, water-quality changes after rain, and shifting bars.
Location: Owner-placed takeoff; not a survey. Public access. Check current access independently.
Provenance is not proof that every inherited claim or current access condition has been rechecked.
Regional waves, wind, water temperature, NOAA tides and nearby buoy observations. Requires JavaScript and a working data connection.
Reef / Advanced
George’s
Also searched as: Georges
A respected Cardiff-zone reef often prized by more deliberate hunters.
Reported direction
Left-dominant
General swell window
SSW–W
Reported tide preference
Low–mid
Bottom
Rock / reef
This is one of the most on-theme additions for the atlas: known enough to matter, obscure enough to be missed by generic maps. Source note: Imported 6.8 catalogue; place and confirm the takeoff.
Things to check: Currents, crowding, submerged rock or cobble, water-quality changes after rain, and shifting bars.
Location: Owner-placed takeoff; not a survey. Public shoreline or trail access; tide and closures matter. Check current access independently.
Provenance is not proof that every inherited claim or current access condition has been rechecked.
Regional waves, wind, water temperature, NOAA tides and nearby buoy observations. Requires JavaScript and a working data connection.
Beach / reef / Intermediate
Pillbox
A smaller-scale local marker rounding out the southern Cardiff chain.
Reported direction
Left & right
General swell window
SW–NW
Reported tide preference
Low–mid
Bottom
Sand
This entry is mapped as a searchable surf zone rather than a claim of one frozen takeoff. Expect shifts with sand, tide, swell angle and crowd pressure. Source note: Imported 6.8 catalogue; place and confirm the takeoff.
Things to check: Currents, crowding, submerged rock or cobble, water-quality changes after rain, and shifting bars.
Location: Owner-placed takeoff; not a survey. Public access. Check current access independently.