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Although the butt of San Diego County rests on the most heavily crossed border in the world, many San Diegans have long considered their frontline to be Camp Pendleton in the north. This line of defense isn't held against any third-world nation, but a first. The 17 miles of softly trodden coast between Trestles -- which is technically just inside the San Diego county line -- and Oceanside is said to be the only break in the string of stucco strip malls and planned communities that would someday have stretched from Oxnard to Tijuana. Whether an actual, or just emotional, defense, these miles of coast are imagined to have held the garishness of Orange and L.A. counties at bay.
Oceanside, the northernmost coastal city in San Diego County, has carried the weight of Camp Pendleton for almost a century. Its main drag caters to hot-rodding Marines and inland tourists. There are car dealerships, motorcycle dealerships, watercraft dealerships, head shops, $5 barbershop specials, Angelo's, Roberto's, Alberto's, Robertito's, Anita's, a bowling alley and a Dairy Queen. Add to this a mixed civilian population, including a large community of South Pacific Islanders, and you get a beach town as interesting as its surf is consistent. Many of its attributes would be foreboding of the region's character if it weren't for Oceanside's enduring, po-dunk charm. And, despite its burdens and reputation as a rough town, Oceanside is easily one of the most livable surf communities in the county.
Although sandbars move and shift along this stretch continually, there are consistent breaks on the north end at the harbor's north and south jetties, and on both sides of the pier. These spots will most often have a crew of surfers on them, but, on better days, the peaks up and down the beach will be just as good. Oceanside is angled to receive southwest swells more readily than the beaches of central San Diego County, and, during southwest swells, it attracts surfers from all parts of SD. From the Interstate 5, take Mission Avenue west until you run into the beach. Take Pacific Street north to the harbor, or south for plenty of parking and easy access to the pier.
-- kimball taylor
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medium
SSW, SW, W, WNW. Hurricane SSE swells will here. Combo of North and South Hemi swells are best.
2 to 8 feet
E
3 to 7
sand, jetties, pier
beginner to advanced
shortboard, longboard, crew cut
year-round
Exit Oceanside Harbor off the I5, cruise west to the beach.
medium
proud but tolerant
4
2; but a 6 to 10 by South Jetty after a rain
Low tide suck-outs, rain runoff, bad long-shore currents, boats getting clocked by sets at the harbor entrance
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The Beachbreak Cafe at 1902 S. Coast Hwy. should top your list of breakfast haunts -- they make a killer omelet -- and the owner, who's a hardcore surfer, guarantees that "everything is 100 percent the best." Call them at 760-439-6355 for more info. Cream of the Crop, a health-food store and deli, is a good alternative to the string of taco shops and burger joints along PCH (2009 S. Coast Hwy.; 760-433-2757). Johnny Manana's, just up Mission Avenue from the pier, is a local favorite and offers a breakfast burrito special for $1.99 (760-721-9999). Next door, a double-dipped cone from Dairy Queen on a hot summer day is an elemental pleasure. There is also a Ruby's diner at the end of the Oceanside pier and a Chart House at the Oceanside Harbor.
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For places to stay check out http://www.surf.savecash.comCoastal camping at the edge of beautiful Camp Pendleton is possible at San Onofre State Beach (aka Old Man's) or San Mateo Campground. Both campgrounds are within spitting distance of Trestles, Church's and Cottons, and just 20 minutes north of Oceanside on the Interstate 5 (949-492-4872; www.parks.ca.gov/DISTRICTS/orange/sosb663.htm). If you forgot your tent, you shouldn't have a problem finding a room at one of the many hotels and motels in the area.
Or try
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The California Surf Museum at 233 North Coast Hwy. is free-ninety-free, and holds an amazing quiver ( www.surfmuseum.org). It's open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Monday (760-721-6876). To dig further into local history, visit the King of the Missions, the San Luis Rey, at 4050 Mission Ave., just inland on Highway 76. As risky as your aunt's potlatch with a creosote aftertaste, surf fishing from the Oceanside pier -- with a $6.60 one-day fishing license -- is a kick in the ass. If you want to catch something that wouldn't mind catching you, charter fishing out of Oceanside Harbor can be arranged through Helgren's Oceanside Sportfishing, located at 315 S. Harbor Dr. (760-722-2133), and starts at $25 a pop. If you're bored and want to fit in, head into any one of the many $5 chop shops and ask for the "high and tight." Or, for cheaper thrills, set copper pennies on the train tracks and try to find them after they've been squashed.
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Surf Ride Board Shop, 1909 Coast Hwy. 101, 760-433-4020
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