Surf LB 006

Photos by Matt Cohn

A strong swell generated by huge pacific storms entered Long Beach through gaps in the breakwater this weekend, bringing perhaps not the cleanest waves on the coast but certainly some of the most memorable.

“I’ve lived on the Eastside all my life and I’m hung over, but I took the bus down here today because I would never miss a chance to surf at my home beach,” said a local who calls himself General Zod, who was among a surfing contingent Sunday that included grizzly, bearded old-schoolers and young groms with bright orange and green wetsuits.  

A growing group of spectators took smartphone shots of surfers taking off on two to four-foot surf that included an occasional over-head set.  

Surf LB 035The beaches at the foot of Claremont Avenue in Belmont Shore and at 55th Street on the peninsula are known among hardcore local surfers for these rare rideable-surf opportunities. The owners of Seventh Wave Surf Shop blogged in late January about surfing some breaking waves off Claremont, noting that it was the first waves they had seen since 2010. 

“I’ve only seen this two other times in my life,” said another Long Beach surfer this weekend. “I’ll be out here all day.”  

Second photo: A Long Beach father-son surf team enjoyed a rare chance to ride Long Beach waves this weekend

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