Cardiff By The Sea Surf Spot
Cardiff is an awesome
place, not only the waves but the community and culture that
surround this awesome reef break. Very often, you will meet
complete strangers and spend hours talking with them about
good days of surf or just about life in general.
Cardiff is an awesome
beach for a day with the family or just a pre-dawn surf
session with not a lot of other surfers in the water.
The Cardiff sign from Old
Highway 101
Location:
Cardiff is located about 5
minutes South of Encinitas and about 15 minutes North of
Solana Beach. There are a few restaurants surrounding
Cardiff such as the Charthouse which is an awesome fine
dining establishment. You can actually watch the surf while
eating dinner at the Charthouse and it's a really beautiful
view. Cardiff is very easy to find and definitely worth
checking out!
Click Here for Directions
The Parking Scenario:
There is ample parking
located at Cardiff beach and accommodate a lot of vehicles
on good days of surf. The parking lot is located on the
beachfront which is awesome for hanging out. You don't have
to hike up any stairs or walkways, you're vehicle is right
there which has always been a plus for me.
The parking lot at Cardiff
Please note: During
an extremely high tide and large surf, the parking lot can
become flooded due to it being located at sea level. The
city officials are usually on top of it when this occurs to
divert traffic but keep this in mind on large days of surf.
Beach Accessibility and Conveniences:
Cardiff has no stairs or
walkways so beach accessibility is easy. Just park the car
and walk about 40 feet to the water! Doesn't get much better
than that!
There is a public restroom
located on the East side of the parking lot is impossible to
miss. there are several restrooms located here and is often
cleaned and maintained by the City. There are sinks located
on the side of the restroom facility and are awesome for
rinsing out your wetsuit and booties.
The Restrooms at Cardiff
There is also a shower
located on the beach side of the parking lot which is
awesome for rinsing off after a long session.
The Shower at Cardiff
Lifeguard:
There are Lifeguards on
duty during the Summer season and during large and dangerous
days of surf. During the Winter months, the Lifeguard towers
usually remain unoccupied but there are often Lifeguards
patrolling the beaches in their vehicles.
Cardiff is a relatively
small beach so there is usually only one Lifeguard on duty
so beware and as always, be smart and careful in the water.
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