Los Angeles 2022: Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach is known as Surf City USA. Located in Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego it has 10 miles of uninterrupted sandy beaches. With its endless summer weather and consistent swells it is a paradise for Surfers.
Bodyboarding
As a family we love the beach and we love water sports. I regularly go surfing and bodyboarding. Therefore, a visit to the home of US Surfing was high on our wish list for our 2022 Los Angeles Holiday.
Having parked up in one of the beachside car parks, we proceeded to the beach. We had our own wetsuits (although I found the water warm enough to not need mine), but were looking to hire boards. Luckily we discovered Zack’ by the Beach. Located directly on the beach they have a wide range of equipment available for hire. We chose a couple of bodyboards and armed with the local knowledge we gained from the guys at Zacks we continued onto the beach.
Not knowing the beach, we chose to enter the water two at a time. The third one of us remaining on the beach to keep an eye on our possessions and to take photos of the action. The waves were great fun, much more powerful than UK waves. We didn’t have to venture out too far and were able to catch a decent ride even in the white water.
Huntington Beach Pier
Just over half a kilometre in length, the iconic pier sits at the heart of Huntington Beach. Visitors to the pier experience breathtaking views amidst the sounds of crashing waves and the feel of an ocean breeze. The perfect location for watching the surfers and as close as you can get to joining the lineup without getting your feet wet. If you are lucky, you may even spot one of the resident pro surfers catching a wave!
Surfing Museum and Walk of Fame
Learn more about the Huntington Beach surf culture by stopping by the International Surfing Museum. Displayed outside of the museum is a world record holding 44 foot long giant surfboard. Officially the largest surfboard in the world it also holds the record for the most people riding a surfboard at once. In 2015 66 people caught a 12 second wave riding this surfboard on nearby Huntington Beach.
Overlooked by a bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku the Surfers Walk of Fame lines Main Street. Why not take a walk and see if you can find your surfing heros?
Shopping
The shopping in Huntington Beach reflects the towns SoCal and Surfing culture. A lot of the beachfront shops are aimed at the surfer. You can find every make of surf wear imaginable, with a lot of it being customised to reflect its Californian connection.
