Huntington Beach Pier Southside

The Southside produces workable, slabby waves forming both rights and lefts over a sandy bottom shaped by the pier's structure. Winter swells from the northwest and west bring the most power and shape, typically generating shoulder-high to overhead waves that lose consistency at high tide. Wave quality varies considerably depending on swell direction and sandbar placement; summer offers smaller but often cleaner conditions. Best surfed with northeast offshore winds. The break attracts a wide range of abilities, though the crowds can be intense, particularly during larger swells when closeout sections dominate the outside bar.

The Southside has hosted organized surfing competitions continuously since 1959, when the West Coast Surfing Championships debuted there with Jack Haley and Linda Benson taking the titles. The annual US Open of Surfing has been held at this same location every year since, making it one of surfing's oldest consecutive competitive venues. Linda Benson went on to win the championship five times across the 1960s and beyond, becoming one of the sport's most successful female competitors of that era.

Public access to the beach south of the pier is free, though parking fills quickly during competitions and good swell. The area experiences strong currents flowing into the pier structure that can prove difficult for weaker swimmers. Stingray activity peaks in the two to three hours surrounding low tide, a seasonal concern particularly during warm-water months.