Surf: Fast, thin righthand lines at the Big Sur Rivermouth; blows offshore with the prevailing NW wind, so it’s a good call on swell days that are blown-out elsewhere. Needs a bigger W or S swell and lower tides to eliminate backwash. Semi-point set-up. Shallow gravel bottom. Beautiful spot. Environment: Accessed by walking nearly a mile from the dirt lot at the park’s entrance. Cheap camping here. Can get somewhat crowded with surfers and large sealife. Surf: General: The driftwood-strewn beach here is safeguarded from all wind directions except W, so it blows offshore almost every day of the year. The prevailing NW winds whip around and shoot directly into the oncoming waves -- sometimes too fiercely to grant you wave entry. The flow from the Big Sur River does a fine job of maintaining the gravelly sandbar in its correct alignment here, resulting in a semi-point setup with fast, thin rights and shorter, mushier lefts burgering into the rivermouth itself. Best when it's head-high and under, the rights can line up quite nicely, providing a taut lip to whack and, occasionally, to tuck under. Although it's probably the most reliable spot in all of Big Sur due to its seemingly endless offshores, the Big Sur Rivermouth can also be pathetically closed-out, shallow and honeycombed with currents that transport you merrily on down the beach, far away from the desired peak. Always worth a look during dismal, unending bouts of onshores, which tend to occur every day. Tides: Low Size: Chest high-overhead Wind: E, NE, N Swell: W, SW or big S Bottom: Sand and rock. Paddling: Moderate. Spot Rating: Can be fun. Access: North on Highway 1 out of San Simeon and watch for the signs on the road marking the Andrew Molera State Park entrance. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Five's a crowd here, which is fairly often since the winds are usually favorable. Local Vibe: Oh yeah. Environment: Mostly clean except after large rainfalls. Hazards: Grouchy locals, sharks. Season: June-October