Blackies

Blackies is a sand-bottom beach break between the 28th Street jetty and Newport Pier that offers both left and right waves, with lefts dominating. The break creates short, fast sections along shifting sandbars that stretch up to 150 meters, with hollow corners and occasional barrels when solid swell fills in. It holds size from small mushy peaks suited to beginners through to bigger winter swells where it develops more shape. The spot is most productive at low to medium tide, particularly from November through February when west or west-northwest swells align with offshore northeast wind. Onshore conditions quickly flatten the peaky structure, and rip currents here run stronger than they initially appear.

Blackies emerged as a significant spot in the longboard revival of the early 1960s, serving as the hub for the Newport Beach Surfing Association and drawing early standouts like Ron Sizemore and transplanted Hawaiians Ilima Kalama and David Nuuhiwa. The wave remained central to the region's local scene and eventually attracted modern talent including Alex Knost and Tanner Prairie. The beach is now known for hosting the Blackies Halloween Surf Day, the largest and longest-running Halloween costume gathering in California, held by longboarders on the last Saturday morning before Halloween.

Blackies sits directly adjacent to Newport Bay with road access leading to metered street parking. The paddleout is straightforward from the beach, making it accessible year-round, though the spot fills up quickly whenever conditions align—crowds here are persistent and heavy on clean winter mornings.