The Gulf of California wave catalog: 11 breaks to discover Los Cabos
Los Cabos doesn't have a single wave. It has a catalog. There are long, gentle rights, fast lefts, technical reef breaks, point breaks that come alive with a good south swell, and waves that can go from calm to serious in a matter of hours. The richness of this coast lies precisely in that variety. A wave isn't good because it's big. It's good when the conditions are right for that wave and for the surfer facing it.
1. Monuments
- Wave type
- Left point break
- Level
- Intermediate – advanced
- Swell direction
- SSW, SW, W
- Ideal wind
- NE
- Size
- From head high to double overhead
- Tide
- High
- Best season
- April–October
- Recommended board
- Shortboard, fish, bodyboard
Monuments is one of the most particular waves in Los Cabos. It's a left that breaks next to a headland and can receive long-period swells from the west and southwest. Its location allows certain swells to arrive with much more energy than at other nearby breaks.
2. El Tule
A corridor break that responds to different conditions depending on the season.
3. Palmilla
A classic spot in the San José del Cabo area.
4. Old Man's
- Wave type
- Right, predominantly
- Level
- All levels
- Swell direction
- SSE, S, SSW
- Ideal wind
- N, NW
- Size
- Knee high – overhead
- Tide
- Medium
- Best season
- —
- Recommended board
- —
Old Man's is one of the most accessible waves in the catalog. It's a predominantly rolling right and has a much gentler personality than the more technical breaks in the area.
5. La Roca / The Rock
- Wave type
- Right reef break
- Level
- Intermediate – advanced
- Swell direction
- S, SW
- Ideal wind
- W–NW
- Size
- Head high – double overhead
- Tide
- Medium – high
- Best season
- —
- Recommended board
- Shortboard, fish
La Roca is a right over reef and a considerably more technical wave than Old Man's. The bottom is full of rocks and there are especially complicated sections during low tide. But when a good south swell comes in and the tide is medium-high, it can produce a very fun wave capable of holding considerable size.
6. Pescadito
A lesser-known break that comes alive with the right conditions.
7. Zippers
- Wave type
- Right point break
- Level
- Intermediate – advanced / advanced
- Swell direction
- South
- Ideal wind
- North
- Size
- Head high – double overhead
- Tide
- Low – medium
- Best season
- April–October
- Recommended board
- Shortboard, fish
Zippers is probably the most recognizable wave at Costa Azul. It's a right that begins with a relatively smooth takeoff and then accelerates over a rock and sand bottom. The wall can stay open for much of the wave, with sections that allow for working turns and more aggressive maneuvers.
8. La Bocana
- Wave type
- A-frame / beach-rivermouth break
- Level
- Beginner – advanced, depending on swell
- Swell direction
- South
- Ideal wind
- North
- Size
- Head high – double overhead
- Tide
- Medium
- Best season
- July–October
- Recommended board
- Shortboard, bodyboard, skimming
La Bocana, in San José del Cabo, is a particularly variable wave. When conditions align it can produce an A-frame with lefts and rights. It's a wave that depends heavily on the combination of swell and beach configuration.
9. Shipwrecks
- Wave type
- Right point/reef + left reef
- Level
- Intermediate – advanced
- Swell direction
- South
- Ideal wind
- North
- Size
- Head high – double overhead
- Tide
- Medium
- Best season
- April–October
- Recommended board
- Shortboard, fish, longboard, bodyboard
Shipwreck is one of the most interesting waves at the East Cape. The main right breaks over a combination of point and reef and can connect several sections all the way to the beach. In the center of the bay there's also a reef section that can produce shorter lefts.
10. La Fortuna
An East Cape point break that works well with south swells.
11. Nine Palms
- Wave type
- Point break
- Level
- All levels
- Swell direction
- S, SE
- Ideal wind
- NW
- Size
- Head high – double overhead
- Tide
- Medium, incoming
- Best season
- —
- Recommended board
- —
Nine Palms is one of the best-known waves at the East Cape. With little size it can feel relatively slow and gentle. But when a good summer south swell arrives, the personality changes completely: the wall becomes more defined and fast sections appear.
Two waves that don't appear on any map
There are places you find by searching. And there are others you find with someone who truly knows the coast. At Surf's Up Cabo we know a couple of waves we're not going to put in this catalog. Not because they're necessarily the biggest, but because they're special.
Secret spot #1
- Wave type
- Right
- Level
- Beginner – intermediate
- Recommended board
- Longboard
A wave that can offer a long, friendly wall for those learning to read a right and wanting to enjoy a more relaxed session.
Secret spot #2
- Wave type
- Right and left
- Level
- Beginner on calm days; intermediate – advanced when size increases
- Recommended board
- Longboard or shortboard, depending on conditions
A wave that changes considerably with size. On small days it can be an excellent option for surfists still developing confidence. When the swell increases, it completely changes character and starts demanding more experience.
The real catalog isn't in a list
The temptation when talking about surf in Los Cabos is to make a list of names. But for an experienced surfer, names are just the beginning. A wave changes with the swell + the period + the wind + the tide + the bottom + the direction + the size. That's why two days at the same spot can feel like two completely different waves.
And that's also why a good surf trip shouldn't be built around a rigid list of beaches. It should be built around the ocean. At Surf's Up Cabo that's our philosophy: we don't seek to take you to the most famous wave. We seek to take you to the wave that best matches the day's conditions and the person on the board. Because the best surf spot isn't always the one on the map. Sometimes it's simply the one that works. And knowing how to find it is part of the experience.
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