Bluff
Cove
Location:
Bluff cove is located alone the northern portion of the Palos Verdes Peninsula below a steep bluff.
Directions:
From the 405 freeway take the Hawthorn exit and go south to Palos Verdes Drive North. Turn right on Palos Verdes Drive North then left on Palos Verdes Drive West. Turn right at Via Corta (first stop sign), after winding around a little, turn right on Via Arroyo. Turn left on Passeo Del Mar and follow that to Bluff Cove. When you reach the cove the road will be taking an uphill turn to the left, and the cove will be visible to your right. There is a service road to carry your boat down.
There is no fee or facilities of any kind. Down at the cove there are some places to hide and do your business.
Launch:
Take the service road down, and stay to the left. Don't take the steep trail that will branch to the right.
The dirt road is wide and relatively well maintained. The trip down will be easy, but the trip up will give you a good lower body workout.
Unless you are strong and your boat is light, bring a cart!
Launch anywhere that looks safe. Rocket launches off the smooth boulders are fun, but dangerous. It you do an excellent one, you'll get a round of applause from the board surfers on shore.
Safety & required skill level:
It is a very good surf spot with a gentle break suitable for all skill levels in most conditions. The bottom is gently sloping, so in a decent swell there are multiple break zones. If the outer break is too big for you, one of the inner breaks will usually be ok. Because of the bottom contour, the launch is always protected from huge waves as they break well out in the cove. If the tide is extremely high, then it might depend on your definition of huge. On one winter day we safely surfed the inside break at 3-to-5 feet, when the outside was going off at 10-to-14 feet.
The beach is (mostly) smooth cobble and boulders of various sizes. The cove bottom is mostly made of the same stuff, but not all of it is smooth. If you hit your heat on anything but water, it will be rock, and it will hurt, or worse! Wear a helmet! Even with a helmet, tuck tightly if you flip. One lady kayak surfer got a bloody nose by not following this rule.
I don't know of any serious injuries here, but as in all kayaking injuries or death are always a possibility.
Board Surfers:
The board surfers are generally friendly and courteous if you are. There are exceptions as teenagers sometimes get a little mouthy. They probably treat us nicer than they treat their parents.
We haven't had any threats or acts of violence, but we have had boardies try to nudge us off a break. When we hold our ground and share, they usually either leave, or just mix in. Having a female in the group seems to further reduce tensions as apparently the young bucks don't think it's manly to hassle a woman. Grown-up men (30+) and females of any age always seem to be friendly.
In long boats, it's a good idea to stay away from the steepest break where all the board guys are. You don't need to be there anyway, because the longest rides for you are not in the steep sections where they congregate.
Check this link for surf etiquette. Don't take advantage of the fact that your boat is fast and can catch any wave before the boardies do. Wait your turn. Add to those - Don't be jerk. It takes months or years to smooth out relations, but one moron can ruin them in 5 minutes.
The Fun:
The main "cove" is the lower one on the map. There is a north and a south break that will be obvious when you get there. The south is better, but there is more competition. Better know what you are doing if you try it on a crowded day.
The north break is a better practice area, but watch out for submerged rocks. At least one paddler has kissed the blarney stone there.
On a very crowded day there will be decent waves between the two (middles) and usually not much competition.
Long rides are possible, especially with long sea kayaks, but shorter boats are better in a decent swell. Best surfing seems to be in about the 2-to-4 foot tide range.
People of all skill levels and with all kinds of boats have fun here. Swims happen with regularity, but usually seem to end without incident.
This is a good place to begin to build surfing, side surfing, and bracing skills because the break is gentle and forgiving.
My favorite is the "Corner". Just below Flat Rock Point in the upper part of the map. There is a rock, not visible in the map, which is about 20 meters below the point. We take off between the visible offshore rocks and just below the one described. When it's going off its a terrifyingly fast ride that the board surfers never try. Waves will be much higher than in bluff cove - maybe 50% higher. It's a rocky run out with multiple break zones so be sure you know what you are doing. This is not a place for beginners or the faint of heart.
Have fun, and try not to get killed!