Steamer Lane:
A classic name for a classic California surf spot, Steamer Lane is geo-strategically placed to sweep up just about everything moving within or just above the surface of the Pacific Ocean and put it to some use. Because Santa Cruz faces straight south, Lighthouse Point points almost directly south, and that weird geography is the secret to Steamer Lane’s success. Swells from the west and northwest that ravage the coast north of Santa Cruz are evened out and groomed as they bend into the Monterey Bay. The same is true for the northwest winds that pound the north coast for most of the year. Because of the bend at the top of the Monterey Bay, those northwest winds blow offshore at Steamer Lane. When all that ragged swell and blustery wind meet at Middle Peak, the results are enough to make even Flea Virostko run for his collected works of Henry David Thoreau. There are few things in nature as beautiful as a 10-foot, offshore peak unloading at Steamer Lane.
Steamer Lane is maybe a little too irresistible, because it is now one of the most crowded surf spots in California. At any given hour, there is probably a wider range of people surfing Steamer Lane than anywhere in the world: women big and small, old guys who rip on shortboards, young guys who rip on longboards, timid, stoked, wide-eyed university students, Japanese visitors, Valleys, kayakers, crusty blue-collar construction workers and the local crew — a growing cadre of rippers that includes some of the most innovative surfers in the world.
Steamer Lane is an extremely competitive and self-conscious surf spot. Sitting in the water at the point or at Middle Peak, it is hard to shake the feeling that you are being watched, because you are being watched. The cliffs are watching you, the people on the cliffs are watching you and the mountains that rim Santa Cruz are watching you. Paddling out at Steamer Lane is like walking onto a stage, and the best surfers take this very seriously.
That self-consciousness and the relentless competition for waves has shaped the Steamer Lane style. A surf session there is as much a performance as anything else, and the best surfers do their best not to disappoint. The locals have been surfing the place since childhood. They know every bounce, splash, boil, gurgle, section and nuance of every wave, and they have come up with unique ways to deal with all those riffles, cracks and rivulets.
Steamer Lane is a scene. It is a cliquey place. Because there are so many people using a scarce resource, they tend to group and flock together. You can read these groups from where they park their cars. The “dirt” lot is on the west side of the bathrooms. The local lot is on the east side of the bathrooms. This is where you’ll find the likes of Flea and Barney and Skindog, heckling themselves and each other before and after a surf. The “carp” lot is across the street from the local lot and can be distinguished by all the work trucks. The tourist lot is closest to the museum at the end of the point.
Just as Santa Cruz is divided into four distinct surf regions: Westside, Midtown, Eastside and Southside, and the parking lot is divided into four distinct sociological areas, so is Steamer Lane quartered into four different surf zones: Middle Peak, The Point, Slot and Indicator.
Pleasure Point:
This is the East Side of Santa Cruz. Once the shy little sister to the West Side, Pleasure Point is now producing its fair share of world-class surfers. Jay Moriarity, may he rest in peace, used to live at Pleasure Point, Chris Gallagher at 41st Avenue.
Pleasure Point offers something for every possible kind of waverider, from bodyboarders to shortboarders to longboarders, and this place is very, very popular with all of that and everything between.
Cowell’s:
Cowell’s Beach is all the way on the inside of Lighthouse Point and Steamer Lane, and the waves are long, gentle, and break for a very long time. Cowell’s is one of the most crowded surf spots in Santa Cruz, but most of the people are there to learn and have fun and have a good time.