Dana Point surf guide

Beach / reef / Intermediate+

Salt Creek

Also searched as: Salt · Salt Creek

Dana Point reef-and-beach system with prominent left-breaking surf as well as other peaks. OC Parks specifically highlights its offshore reef and lefts.

Reported direction

Left & right

General swell window

S–W

Reported tide preference

Low–mid

Bottom

Sand

OC Parks describes the offshore reef as producing left-breaking waves. The whole Salt Creek beach includes multiple peaks; select a section and inspect the actual bank and tide rather than assuming a uniform point break. This entry has a corrected left flag, not a surveyed takeoff coordinate.

Things to check: Crowds, rocks, sweep, shallow inside sections and variable localism.

Location: Approximate imported surf-zone pin — verify locally. Public access. Check current access independently.

Reef / Advanced

Gravels

Also searched as: The Gravels

A punchier reef section adjacent to Salt Creek, often prized for left potential.

Reported direction

Left & right

General swell window

SSW–W

Reported tide preference

Low–mid

Bottom

Rock / reef

Mapped separately because the reef behaves differently from the main beach and draws a more targeted crowd on proper south swell.

Things to check: Shallow reef, crowding, currents and sketchy low-tide entries.

Location: Approximate imported surf-zone pin — verify locally. Public shoreline or trail access; tide and closures matter. Check current access independently.

Beach / Intermediate

The Strands

Also searched as: Dana Strands · Strands

A sandy cove line with variable peaks between Salt Creek and Dana Point Harbor.

Reported direction

A-frame / left & right

General swell window

S–W

Reported tide preference

Low–mid

Bottom

Sand

More of a shifting beachbreak than a fixed named takeoff. Best treated as a productive scouting zone with repeatable bars.

Things to check: Shorebreak, changing sandbars and intermittent crowding.

Location: Approximate imported surf-zone pin — verify locally. Public access. Check current access independently.

Reef / point / Advanced

Monarch Bay

A private-adjacent reef-and-point corner north of Salt Creek.

Reported direction

Right

General swell window

S–W

Reported tide preference

Low–mid

Bottom

Rock / reef

Included for atlas completeness, but kept coarse. Access is the controlling constraint; do not treat this as a route guide.

Things to check: Private property, rocks and isolation relative to nearby public spots.

Location: Approximate imported surf-zone pin — verify locally. Permission or lawful water access only. Check current access independently.

Historical point / Historical

Killer Dana (historical)

The famous right point largely lost to harbor construction, preserved here as a historical surf landmark.

Reported direction

Right

General swell window

S–W

Reported tide preference

Low–mid

Bottom

Rock / reef

This is a memory marker and geographic reference, not a claim of a living modern lineup.

Things to check: Harbor traffic and no expectation of the original wave.

Location: Approximate imported surf-zone pin — verify locally. Public access. Check current access independently.

Rivermouth / beach / Intermediate+

Doheny Rivermouth

Also searched as: Doheny River Mouth

The more energetic Doheny peak, shaped by the mouth and adjacent cobble / sand dynamics.

Reported direction

Left & right

General swell window

S–NW

Reported tide preference

Low–mid

Bottom

Sand

Separate from First Point because it can turn on with more punch and shorter rides.

Things to check: Crowds, changing bars, pollution after rain and rips.

Location: Approximate imported surf-zone pin — verify locally. Public access. Check current access independently.

Point / cobble / Beginner–intermediate

Doheny First Point

Also searched as: First Point

The classic soft cobble point at Doheny.

Reported direction

Right-dominant

General swell window

S–W

Reported tide preference

All tides

Bottom

Cobble, sand & small reef

One of the friendlier longboard waves on this map. The main line is right-dominant, but nearby sections and reform corners can produce lefts.

Things to check: Crowds, learners, collision risk and weak but persistent sweep.

Location: Reference-corrected coastal area; approximate takeoff, not surveyed. Public access. Check current access independently.

Reef / cobble / Intermediate+

Boneyard / Hammerland

A localized Doheny sub-zone where cobble and reef change the feel from First Point.

Reported direction

Left & right

General swell window

SSW–W

Reported tide preference

Low–mid

Bottom

Rock / reef

Useful for people hunting something a little less obvious than the main point, especially on the right tide and angle.

Things to check: Cobble takeoff, crowding and inconsistent naming.

Location: Approximate imported surf-zone pin — verify locally. Public shoreline or trail access; tide and closures matter. Check current access independently.