Sandspit

Sandspit is a world-famous surf break located on the jetty at the Santa Barbara Harbor and was created accidentally by the construction of the city’s breakwater in the 1920s. This man-made geography causes incoming swells to refract off the harbor wall and collide with a shifting sandbar, resulting in a fast, hollow, and powerful right-hand barrel. While it only breaks on specific large winter swells, it is a high-performance destination that attracts elite surfers and was famously immortalized in the opening scene of the classic surf film The Endless Summer. Due to the shallow sand bottom and the technical nature of the wave, it is considered an advanced-only spot and remains one of the most unique surfing spectacles on the California coast.

• 5 minute drive from downtown Santa Barbara, best viewed from Stearns Wharf.
• Located by the jetty of the harbor.
• Breaks occasionally on big winter swells.

Words from the Photographer: Always a spectacle to see, some surfers get towed in by jet skis, its a rare break!