Ravena is a beautiful beach break with good sandbars serving up both lefts and rights over a mostly sand bottom. The banks start doing their thing around waist high and keep working all the way up to faces in the 12 to 15 foot range on the biggest days, so it covers a lot of ground for one stretch of sand. It picks up swell consistently, and while the paddle out is straightforward on smaller days, it gets more demanding as the size climbs.
When It Works
Swell rolls in from north-northeast through east-southeast to south (NNE-ESE-S), with south the direction that lines the banks up best. Northeast and east swell get the job done too. The break is usable from 0.9 m / 3 ft to 4.6 m / 15 ft, and autumn and winter deliver the best of it, though something is breaking here year-round.
Wind and Tide
Look for west (W) offshore wind, with a workable wind window running from west to west-northwest (W-WNW). Tide is refreshingly flexible: it can work through most of the tide, with a rising tide generally the better call.
Local Tips
There is room here for just about everyone, from beginners finding their feet on the easier days to experts when it turns on. Bring a shortboard for the everyday sessions, and a gun or tow board if you are chasing the big end of the range. Expect a moderately busy lineup when it works, though the crowd thins out as the size goes up. The atmosphere in the water is friendly. Keep an eye on the currents and the jetty.
Access
Easy to find.
