Jalama

Surf Guide

Sweeping, pastoral ranchlands, wooded arroyos and endless oak trees precede the ultra-popular summertime south coast getaway known as Jalama Beach County Park (Ha-LAH-ma), which sports three recognized surf spots: the Beachbreak, Cracks and Tarantulas (or "Ts" for short). Reached 14 miles from Highway 1 via serpentine Jalama Road through the Santa Ynez Mountains, Jalama is a primo southwest swell area and, for most folk, is the northernmost portal for surfing in Santa Barbara County. With the hulking Vandenberg Air Force Base to the immediate north and untouched Point Conception coastline to the south, the basic truth is, if you motor all the way out to Jalama and the surf sucks, you're barred. Frequent, heavy northwest winds plague the north coast, so it's wise to hit it early or not at all. Early-morning offshores can be freezing. Considerably bigger and much more exposed than the county's relatively tame south coast, Jalama packs a mean punch, summer or winter, so you can expect truckloads of juice out here if the swell's pumping. Lots of wildlife out here, too; the drainage of Jalama Creek, near the campground, creates a small wetland habitat frequented by the endangered California brown pelican. The Beachbreak basically extends from the campground area down to Cracks, which is distinguished by a large indentation in the bluffs. It's all shifty, semi-hollow sandbars best on a high tide with clean, peaky swells; the place holds size, but getting out becomes a problem (or outright impossibility). The currents can be bad, too. A good place to go if the swell's too small for Tarantulas. Primarily a left, the rights at Tarantulas can also get quite good, peeling fast for a ways into the boulder-strewn inside. The lefts are perfect for lip-smacking and roundhousing, with a comfy channel for easy paddles and time-outs. The shape is much more consistent than that of the beachbreak area, so the jog down to Ts is usually well-worth the effort. The takeoff zone is pretty small, so 10 guys can make Tarantulas seem overly crowded. Ten guys is nothing, however, since everybody in the 805 area code embarks on Jalama when the south coast is dismally flat.