Surfing California: A Complete Guide to the Best Breaks on the California Coast (Surfing Series) [Paperback]

Raul Guisado (Author), Jeff Klaas (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

For more than twenty-five years, FalconGuide® has set the standard for outdoor recreation guidebooks. Written by top outdoors experts and enthusiasts, each guide invites you to experience the endless adventure and rugged beauty of the great outdoors.
Surfing California is your one-of-a-kind guide to the best breaks in the Golden State - from classic surf spots to lesser-known waves. Explore the surf from the Oregon border to the Mexican border, covering every worthwhile break in between. Let local surfers Raul Guisado and Jeff Klaas show you where to ride the waves from North Jetty in Arcata to Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz to Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach.
Look inside for:

Complete write-ups of 100 featured surf spots, plus key info on 100 more
Best tide height, swell direction, and wave size for each featured site
Surf spots for all skill levels, from beginner to expert
The lowdown on hazards and localism
At-a-glance information on break types and best boards
Advice on avoiding the crowds and finding the breaks
California natives Raul Guisado and Jeff Klaas surf their favorite breaks every chance they get. Raul has been a surf coach for more than fifteen years and is the author of The Art of Surfing (Falcon). Jeff is an avid surfer who travels extensively in search of the best waves.

About the Author

Raul Guisado has lived in California and played in the ocean all his life. He grew up surfing and skiing, splitting his time between Santa Cruz and Tahoe City. Raul has been coaching skiers and surfers since 1989 and is the author of The Art of Surfing: A Training Manual for the Developing and Competitive Surfer (Falcon).

Jeff Klaas is a California native and avid surfer who has traveled extensively in search of the best waves.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 1st edition (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076272966X
• ISBN-13: 978-0762729661
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #513,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Nature Travel > Adventure > Skiing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible!, July 24, 2007

By 

Z. Shore (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surfing California: A Complete Guide to the Best Breaks on the California Coast (Surfing Series) (Paperback)

Don't buy this book. The pictures are all from what seems to be a one-week fly-by roadtrip in the summer, and so every spot they take a picture of is flat. That's no help at all. The info they write on each break was probably copied from somewhere else online, and most of it is wrong and outdated. It sounds as if these guys don't even surf.

Not worth the money, go with Bank Wright's classic: Surfing California

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Arguable the worst book ever, November 30, 2007

By 

J. Reeves "Dupe of the Market Forces, ex-rock... (CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surfing California: A Complete Guide to the Best Breaks on the California Coast (Surfing Series) (Paperback)

I agree with everything the previous reviewer said and then some. A guidebook should be both accurate and have nice photos to help the reader see where they are going. The photos, especially for S.Cal, were taken on the smallest day ever. If El Cap, Campus Point, Sandspit and Rincon are point breaks then why are the pictures of beach breaks? You don't have to pay to park at any of the places they refer to as "Tamarack" (it's not the California State Park at South Carlsbad where you do have to pay to get access to the camping area) unless you give money to me as the homeless surf bum asking for spare change. Buy and use this guide at your own peril.

I would rank Cleary and Stern's Surfing Guide to Southern California the best (4 stars) even though its over 40 years old. The aerial photos are great and there are photos of the spots taken when there is actually surf. Bank Wright's is ok as are the Surfer Magazine guides (3 stars). But be sure to skip this one.

Edit 2010: Re: Tamarack: for years and when this was published, you could park for free at the lower parking lot. That changed this summer, and is now a pay lot. When this book was written you could park for free there. This book and its crappy photos still suck and are worthless.

1.0 out of 5 stars There are better books about surfing California., October 8, 2010

By 

BT Surf (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surfing California: A Complete Guide to the Best Breaks on the California Coast (Surfing Series) (Paperback)

This book covers the basics you would like for a surf break: swell direction, wind, tides, seasons, etc... They do have a decent selection of breaks, but the descriptions vary from good to informative to uninspiring filler. This book does okay as a quick reference while on the road, but I use others for that purpose.

Another reason for my buying a surfing book is to get me amped for travel. However I have never seen more terrible photographs of surfing in my life! They used sub par shots that look like they literally came from a camera phone! Shots that are unfocussed (see Moonstone Beach), too distant (see Humboldt North Jetty), or just plain terrible selection (see Scott's Creek). Want a real scorcher of a photo? Look at their choice for California Street: a surfer failing to paddle into a 1-ft mushburger. It's so pathetic I actually laughed.

The book is a total loss so I gave it one star. I say pass on this one. There are certainly much better books out there.