Rincon: Crown Jewel of the Coast - Tourist Attractions

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Rincon: Crown Jewel of the Coast
updated: Jul 16, 2011, 8:45 AM

By the dedicated staff, photos by David Powdrell

To prevent the ire of the many dedicated surfers who read Edhat.com, we are going to preface this introduction to Rincon, the best-known surf break in Santa Barbara County, with a caveat - we are not advocating that you rent a surfboard and paddle out at this storied point break. Especially not if you are an inexperienced surfer.

Rincon, often called the crown jewel of the coast, sits just on the Santa Barbara side of the Santa Barbara/Ventura County line. It's surfable year round, with ideal longboarding waves in summer and righteously rideable shortboard stuff in the winter. It's a great place to take a camera and practice your surf photography, but not a great place to sunbathe (there are better beaches for that); unless you've got a significant other surfing, and you want to make it a two-for-one outing.

There are a lot of great places to surf along our coast, but Rincon is arguably the best and most famous - definitely the most popular. You might just see a few former world champions in the water if you head down to watch people surf here.

Some highlights and tips for a good visit:

Check the surf and the tides first. Just as with any surf break, there are summer days with no waves at Rincon, and you could end up there on a near-deserted day. There isn't much sand on the beach when the tide is high - especially in the winter months - so if you're planning to hang out, you may have to make yourself comfortable among the rocks that edge the beach approaching the point.

If there are waves, parking will be tight. Currently, parking is free, as Rincon is a county beach, but the county is in the process of instituting a paid beach parking program for all of its beaches, so that will change in the future. There are two parking lots, one to the right and one to the left of Bates Road. Most visitors circle the left-hand lot first to see if they can get lucky, and sometimes settle for the right-hand lot. Worst-case scenario you can park alongside Bates Road and walk a bit. To get to the beach, take the trail at the end of the main parking lot - it's an obvious path. If you're an early beach visitor, the parking lot gate may not be open. The caretakers do that each day, but are typically early risers. If they sleep in and don't open the gate, they hear about it.

Respect the locals. There's going to be localism at any coveted surf spot, whether you're in Hawaii or Central California, and smart surfers know how to work within the hierarchy of grizzlies, who have been riding waves at their favorite breaks for decades, groms, who grew up surfing there but are only 10 years old, and of course, all of the surfers - male and female, talented or just dedicated - in between. Rincon has all kinds of wave riders in the water, from the likes of local pro Bobby Martinez to guys who have been surfing it for 50 years. There's also a designated Pit Crew, where surfers and residents who consider this "their" beach hang out. They have a hut on the beach to the left of the trail as you come in. Don't go over there unless invited. There's also little to no tolerance for SUPs (stand up paddle surfboards) at Rincon, so if you want to do that, go somewhere else.

See some really great surfing. Best time to do this is during the winter months, assuming there are some good waves coming through. But we have had a few summer swells this year that have made Rincon rideable and fun. You might catch athletes like Lakey Peterson, world-class female junior surfer from Montecito, in the water there. Another local is Shaun Tomson, world champion from South Africa who also lives in Montecito and is a worldwide ambassador for civility in the sport. The best place to see a lot of good local surfers is during the Rincon Classic, an annual contest that usually takes place in February.

Shoot some surfers (with a camera, of course). For photographic proof, we turn it over to Edhat contributor David Powdrell, a surfer and observer of the coast who has taken amazing surf photos at Rincon every winter. You'll need a camera lens capable of capturing action shots from a distance, and you might find yourself in the company of shooters for surf magazines and websites if you hit the right day on the beach. The images below give you a better idea of what to expect from Rincon than we could ever put into words.