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Linda Mar Beach
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
36 reviews for Linda Mar Beach
Excellent beach.
Great for the newbie or laid back surfer.
Safe as any beach for the kids to romp in the shore surf.
Instruction and surf shop close by. Rental equipment too!
Lots of food close by.
Small town feel that is safe for you and your kids.
Plus it's just gorgeous during the Indian summer months!
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I remember back in the day when I used to live around here this used to be the spot. When did they stop bon fires and tents? I remember loading up the cooler and 'gathering firewood' from the safeway across the street. Ah and who could forget the tacobell beach side. Thats what I call accommodations!
came back on to show peeps around and never realized how many freaking surfers were in the water. I always came for the beach and not for the ways. It kinda made me wanna take up surfing.
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This is my spot. This is where I learned to surf and where I love to surf. I debated about whether or not I should review this beach for fear that I might expose my spot to other surfers, but then I remembered that there are 80+ surfers in the water on nice weekends.
People are correct when they say this is a beginner spot, but it is so much more. Some days the waves are small and easy, other days they are 11ft and narly. The waves rarely close out, there is often a nice off-shore wind, no rip tide and the sand bottom makes for an easy wipe out. The best thing about this spot is that it ALWAYS has waves. This can't be said about almost any other spot in the bay area.
As for the crowds, it is true, there are a lot of surfers in the water. However, there is very little localism and people share waves nicely. We all do our best not to drop in on somebody, but we all realize that multiple people are trying to catch each and every wave. Also, the beach is wide, so you can find your own little slice.
Good days at Montara might be better and great days at OB might be epic, but I will always defend my first love, Linda Mar.
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Good surf spot for beginners. The major thing I don't like about this spot is all the rocks. Make sure to wear booties because there are rocks EVERYWHERE.
This is a nice spot for longboards, hybrids, and fish... Just beyond the boathouses there are some lefts...but alot of seaweed/kelp. Also that area by the boathouses has alot of rocks...watch your fins. Surf between taco bell and boathouses is a bit more easy...go towards the pumphouse (opp boathouses) and you get some nice quick rides. The beach is surrounded by places to eat and shop. You could rent from Nor Cal, Log Shop, Sonlight, and a couple of other spots. It does get crowded on warm days and you might end up shoulder to shoulder in the lineup...but folks are pretty chill there. Dont enter the water after rains... its gross. Wetsuit recommended. Have Fun!
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Man, there's like 4 different Yelp entries for this beach, both as Linda Mar and under its official name, Pacifica State Beach. I was tempted to just create a new entry for "Taco Bell Beach", but I'll be good and file my review here.
This crescent-shaped beach, framed by headlands and backed by the scenic San Pedro valley (and the less scenic Linda Mar shopping center), is definitely the most popular in Pacifica. A little too popular during heat waves, as I found out. The parking lots are not built for serious crowds, but we were able to nab one of the last remaining spaces over by Nona's. But even the beach itself was so full there was hardly a dry spot left to lay down, and there must have been a hundred surfers floating in the water.
Anyway, as a non-surfing sand-stroller I'm not entirely sold on this spot. It doesn't offer much you can't get at Ocean Beach or Fort Funston, and if you truly want to get away from it all, you'll need to go farther down the coast. Perhaps this beach is more iconic in the fog--I'd love to do a misty hike from here over to Rockaway Beach, Mori Point and Sharp Park sometime.
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WARNING-- NOT a family friendly beach! Sewer outflow and dangerous water quality makes this a dicey choice for kids! Apparently the people who come here are unable or unwilling to read the sign that says dogs must be leashed, they also think this is a perfect place for their dogs to take a dump. You can expect to be harassed by big dogs including pit bulls because of their low-brow owners. The beach is covered in dogsheet and smells of it. The surfers who come here are cool and this criticism is not aimed at them - but they are only interested in the quality of the waves not the quality of the beach so their opinions must be weighed carefully! Surfers we need your help in repairing this State beach. This could become a good beach if the locals enforced the rules. There should be a an area on the beach that dogs can be off leash, but that requires responsible owners.
The pro-development tools in town are at war with the environmentalist so they are either too stupid or too short-sighted to know a good thing when they see it, they would rather cut-off their nose to spite their face and so they have let this beach go down the drain so that they can stick it to the pro-environment crowd. This beach should be the crown jewel of Pacifica that would attract new businesses and families, Instead it stinks; who want to eat a Taco Bell near a sewer?. If you don't care about surfing then avoid this beach, there are many nice beaches just down the road towards Half Moon Bay.
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It's gorgeous here, but it gets pretty cold and the tide gets rough in the afternoon. If you surf, you probably already know this. I took surfing lessons here, and had the luxury of wearing a wetsuit (with matching booties!) so I was protected from the harsh winds and freezing water. Our lesson was kind of late in the afternoon for some reason, and the waves were kicking our amateur asses. But if you surf, it'll probably just give you a nautical boner. I didn't notice any trash or dog boop, but there are a lot of rocks there, so wear shoes.
Bonus: Taco Bell! I didn't eat there, but I appreciated its presence.
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Why am I giving five stars to Linda Mar when it tried to kill me yesterday?
Respect.
Plus that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger. By that math, Linda Mar is making me stronger.
Although I didn't enjoy all that saltwater I drank, the experience was still worthwhile. Round 3 of Drowning Practice (aka "surfing") happens very soon...
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Linda Mar is an inconsistent beach to surf. Some days it is super choppy with huge closeouts everywhere, but then others it's mellow and almost glassy. Never seen an epic day at Linda Mar, but it can get decent at times and pretty sheitty at others.
The crowd here changes depending on the conditions, but in general, this is a good beach for beginners to learn at and the intermediates to have fun. There are rippers here, but for most part it's the casual surfer who you'll find in the water. There are surf shops close by (KStar and Norcal) where you can rent wetsuits and boards and the vibe is fairly tolerant of beginners. I'd rent from KStar if you bring friends or don't own your own gear. They are open till 8 pm (rather than 6 pm for Norcal), and only cost $10/wetsuit and $10/board.
This beach also has parking and showers, so that's cool. And L&L Hawaiian BBQ is just across the street too. Gotta have Hawaiian food after surfing.
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Great place to veg out and watch the sunset on an Easter Sunday in between family and friend visits.
Reminds you of just how wonderful your alone time can be.
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I love surfing here- only been here a couple times as I moved out East after attending Surf school with a good friend of mine in La Jolla --yeah, it was cheesy but we learned...and we were SO proud to be girls! Needless to say we stood away from the group during the daily "Go girl!" rituals in the morning...
Regardless, living in SF, this was the best place to rent boards and just go as Pacifica was right around the corner. Ocean Beach is too inconsistent and always choppy. Linda Mar is just a bit nicer. Cold at times, busy at times, but the surfers are always cordial.
Havent gone in a few years. Bummer. These days, I surf vicariously through others...
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Bring the dogs there in the morning (with a cup of coffee you grab on the way) and let them run and sniff and chase sticks in the surf, then put them in the truck for a long nap while you break out your longboard and surf old man style for a few hours in front of the world's most scenic Taco Bell. Surf is never epic, but never nothing, and it's a helluva lot sunnier than anyone will tell you.
Better surf here than Southern Baja, but I still miss Santa Cruz...
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Despite your fog, despite your throngs of poor surfers, despite your cold waters full of sharks, I love you, Linda Mar.
When age and inadequate surfing skill make me unable to brave the waves elsewhere, I can almost be certain that even on the crappiest days your cove will invite me in like an accepting cleavage in the ocean's bosom.
Oh, how I wish they'd fix the sewage so the place did not smell of human waste. Nevertheless, I love thee Linda Mar for many fine days of pathetic surfing (on my part) and will never lament your oceanic gifts.
I will come back to you again and again to surf as long as I live in the Bay Area. I promise, my love.
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Spectacular looking place, not very big beach but decent surfing despite often quite inconsistant. Never epic but plenty of fun anyways. One of my favourite surf beaches in NorCal. Probably world's greatest views from the Taco Bell on the beach and few surf shops very close by with rentals etc. Sometimes difficulties with parking, especially if a good day to surf (too close to San Francisco I guess, as Half Moon Bay never gets that crowded). See for yourself! Dogs welcome :)
I love Linda Mar Beach! Yes, I said love, such a strong word, right? It's great that it's only a couple of miles from where I live, so it's easy for me to get to.
I don't surf, but I enjoy watching surfers and the crazy waves. You can walk/jog on the beach or on the trail going up the mountain; you can watch the beautiful sunset views; you can lay out on your blanket and read a book; I bring my nephews here to play; you can picnic out here or get food from the most unique Taco Bell location--it's right on the beach!
One summer, I even saw dolphins in the horizon! How exciting is that!
Went surfing there yesterday and I thought the conditions were actually pretty decent. Nice 3-4ft peaks, breaking in predictable spots, going both ways . . . was told by some locals that this was apparently about as good as it gets though. The water did seem a bit colder than the Santa Cruz breaks, as I had the dreaded "club foot" when I got out . . . you know where your feet have gone numb and it feels like you're walking on stumps? Yeah, time to buy some booties . . . I guess this ain't Hawaii
More than anything, 6 stars for the vibe, as everyone's generally laid back, even the "rippers." No one picking fights, or acting like they owned the place, definitely a great place for a dip after work! Don't forget to check out the Taco Bell!!
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The tar and debris are a beach but the swells are swell. Yes, many grandpa surfers that still want to catch a wave. Flip flops for the hot sand. Wet suits for the cold water. Strong pull in water in this pocket, so careful with your little ones. Fine sand gets trapped in your suit, so wear the grubbies.
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Little Cowell's Beach in SF. If you've been down to Santa Cruz then you know what I mean. Basically, this is probably your best bet at an easy learner surf spot near SF. I take people out here to learn all the time when there's not enough time to go to SC. The parking lot is spacious, but still fills up on weekends. However, further down the beach you can enter from another strip mall parking area that always has space. This combined with the fact that there are two decent sized shops nearby, NorCal (big one in the strip mall area) and Sonlight (my personal fav - across the street nearby the beach resort hotel), make this a very convenient beach.
In addition, there's a Taco Bell on the beach and another nearby strip mall complex with a grocery store, Denny's, L&L Hawaiian BBQ, Coffee shop, Deli, and more.
This is also a decent place to catch the view - both sunset and cute surfer chicks.
If your idea of a beach is broken glass and dog manuer - then this is your place. Seriously, I'm only speaking from a non-surfer perspective. From reading other reviews, seems like the beach is good for only surfing. Would I bring my dog? Of course, everybody else does. Would I bring a picnic basket and eat on the beach? No. Eat at the Taco Bell on the beach, with the tables outside on the deck so you could watch the waves.
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Love this beach when you're driving down hwy 1, get to the top of the hill, then look down and see the beautiful coastline.. one of the many pluses you get every day to living in a beach town!
Great for the dogs, watch out for turds under rocks (why, people, why??) and good for riding your horse (although beware, most horses think surfboards are alien horse-attacking creatures). Towards the tides end of the beach the sand does get quite deep so if you're riding here stay closer to the water.
As others have mentioned, LM is like our version of Cowell's. It's a nice beach to learn and improve at before moving on to more challenging surf. Some days it can be pretty good although it tends to close out with bigger swells unless the winds are helping you out. On a hot/sunny day, swell or no swell, the place will be packed (even the overflow lot).
I tend to head out early in the AM if I'm going out on the weekend to beat the crush. You'll find a mix of long boarders and short boarders depending on the day/swell. However, it's primarily a long board beach unless the swell is way up and clean.
There are always a fair amount of new surfers out (I'm still pretty much a beginner-to-intermediate myself) so it can be a challenge when it gets crowded and everyone is trying for the same waves, sometimes without a good understanding of basic surf etiquette. On the plus side you won't get any attitude unless you really screw up and the crowd is generally pretty mellow.
One other thing to keep in mind, after it rains the south end of the beach by the creek can get kind of nasty. use http://www.earth911.org to check the water quality as best you can.
Overall, I have a big soft spot for LM. It's not my favorite break and it's not where I learned to surf but it's a good little spot and really mellow compared to a lot of the spots in SC.
We stopped by yesterday on our family trip to check out the surf. This beach is a cool place to go if your learning to surf. The center of the beach is usually crowded...so pick your spots well. Not a bad beach to hang out at, but it does get crowded.
this beach has been beaten by the ugly stick and the lineup... i feel like i'm at the dmv - scary. kooks, kamikazes, rippers, scary midlife crisis guys on 20 ft boards, beach bunnies, they're all here.
i scooch down here when the swell is too big everywhere else and you know what, i ALWAYS have a good session. i think because i try to stick to the north end of the beach and there are lots of looky loos hangin in the water.
i guess the fact that they paddled out is the name of their game.
This is not a beach in your typical LA sense. It is, however, a beach typical of the Bay Area, I've found.
I personally love this place because it's a great place for beginner surfers. You can rent a wetsuit (but not booties) and surfboard ($17 for the surfboard all day) from the Norcal Surf Shop right by the beach, and the waves are typically great for beginners.
Words of caution, though.
(1) It can get pretty crowded, especially with the Adventure Out surf class on weekends from 9-12.
(2) Watch out for sharp, pointy rocks. I would not go surfing here barefoot (at least not on the Taco Bell side) without booties. Tried it once and it put me out of commission for a week.
Yes, the water is cold. That's why you wear a 4/3 (or thicker) wetsuit. And seriously. You're near SF - did you really expect anything less?
Pathetica, as it is known by those who regularly surf Ocean Beach...though I would not agree with that statement. I really like the culture of Linda Mar its sort of like a bit of Hawaii in the fog with lots of older folks and longboarders, mellow people who smile and say "hi" in the water...yes the water is not very clean (read don't surf the day after heavy rains), yes there are a ton of learners on this beach, yes the waves here are not shacktastic barrel festivals like VFW in November...but, when the mood is right and the glass is around, and the tide is incoming, and the sun is out, and the waves are from a decent ground swell and the sand bars are not solid for close-out, it can be really fun. Lots of conditions that can foul up the wave here BUT it you know how to surf, and you have this place dialed in (as I do), you always leave with a high wave count and a smile. And for those frigid cold days there is a Starbucks in the Mall...slightly south of this beach where the J ends is Pedro Point, it has an Epic left hander for those of you with big coconuts, some of the Mavs crew surf out there when its firing and Mavs is not...but watch out because that is where Pedro likes to swim, a 15 foot G-Dub...ALSO the Keatings have a great boat launch here on the south end, if you want to putt putt in the Bay for Salmon in your little boat/kayak. FOR FAMILIES: bring sand toys, bring jackets, sun protection, maybe some wee wet suits, fun place for kids to learn, be aware to watch smaller kids near the waves (though the water here is not as dangerous as Ocean Beach or Rockaway for the little guys)...
So close to the City and yet so far removed. It seems like a quick trip on the 1 down to Linda Mar and life slows down just a bit. I love a good afternoon surf session with my buds to remind me of how lucky I am to be alive and living in the Bay Area. Not everyone gets to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean as you paddle for the last wave of the day. I've found that sweet mystery of life. Part of it is here.
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I have never seen so many surfers lined up on an ocean in my entire life, not even in San Diego where the weather is so great you don't need a wetsuit. But here where it's foggy, and cold I still saw over 80 surfers on the ocean, lined up trying to catch a wave. They were mostly newbies which made the BF feel more comfortable knowing that everyone there was at the same skill level as him. But wow, how do you catch a wave when everyone is in the way?
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A cool surf spot. The beach is pretty wide so you can surf in different sections depending on your skill level. Bring a wetsuit, the water is cold. A great beach for bodyboarding. Medium size surf. Bigger than Stinson Beach and about the same as Ocean Beach for surfing.
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awesome place esp for a first timer out for a surf lesson. That was awesome a beach with yes quite a few people at noon tons of surfers in the water but a good place for newbies to stay out of the way of the pros (plenty of them there on the other side of the beach) nice cove for waves and no shark sightings :) yes its kinda chilly but the surf shop just across the beach rents out all gear and sells whatever you need at great prices!! Im sold.
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I miss this beach. This is where I took my first surfing lessons and spent many a time in an elusive attempt at riding a wave OR at least attempting to paddle out without getting smacked by my own board. It's a great beginning surfer's beach especially in the summertime when the waves are tiny. Check http://surfline.com before you go, though. After a surf session, you can go eat some good ol' Taco Bell right on the beach. I think it's the only one on a beach?
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Linda Mar is one of my favorite beaches in the bay area! it has a nice long stretch of land (though not as long as ocean beach)- perfect for families and surfers alike. It's a clean beach, I love chilling here by myself or with my family. The sand is nice, the air is nice... oh, Linda Mar is just nice! Parking is adequate, though it can be difficult at times.
This is a good beach to learn if you are a beginner surfer. Big days are usually closeouts. I still go here every once and awhile. I've gotten some good waves here. Oh yea, watch out for the kooks!
This place is great. I didn't know about it until a friend told me. It has shops around this place. There is a denny's, a taco bell on the beach, valero, rite aid..etc..etc.. nice place to be. You can chill with your friends and go surfing. Highly recommend this for a beach in the bay area
there's just something about the landscape that always appeals to me. I go for a nice jog or long hike starting at the base of the beach up and down the paved hillside. Many people walk their dogs and there are plenty of surfers. There are a few good restaurants to try nearby, a surf shop, and a shopping center across the street. I remember fishing with my father and uncle off the rocky shore to the North, and though we rarely caught anything, just the simple pleasure of being outside with the surf slapping at our feet and the salty air kissing our face made for a great day.
Wanna learn to surf? Join the newbie masses at this Nor Cal beach!
I just started surfing regularly and Linda Mar in Pacifica (aka. the Taco Bell beach) is my home break. It's surprisingly close to my East Bay digs (I can get there in 35 minutes with no traffic) and it's probably one of the few local beaches where I would say the majority of surfers are learning the craft. It's not unusual for 3 or 4 riders to catch the same close out, white water wave. Everyone is going straight for the most part so most of the time this is not an issue. However, try dropping in on someone at Pleasure Point or Steamers and see what happens- you may get scalped by a very angry surfer or at the very least get a salty tongue lashing that you won't soon forget.
Reasons why Linda Mar is a great place to learn how to surf:
1. There are organized surf classes there on the weekends all the time. I don't know who teaches the classes are but I see clumps of people wearing navy blue rash guards over their wet suits riding a fleet of soft top long boards. Believe me they are having a blast.
2. You can go with a friend who can teach you and rent all your gear at Nor Cal Surf Shop. $15/day for a wet suit and $15/day for the same soft top long board. You'll be shredding in no time.
3. Remember most everyone huddled shoulder to shoulder in the lineup are learning the sport themselves so if you make a mistake like run into someone or really drop in on their wave or bump their board, just verbalize your apology and say 'I'm just learning how to surf!' and my guess is 9 times out of 10 you will actually make a new friend out of it and perhaps they'll give you some surf pointers free of charge.
The only down side to surfing Linda Mar is the fact that most of the waves are short, close out rides but again, for folks starting out, the idea is to get comfortable in the ocean and simply learn how to stand up.
