The wave at Windansea breaks both summer and winter. It's best on a low to medium tide, and usually suffers from backwash during high tides. The rights are longer than the lefts, but the lefts are steeper. Although it's generally thought of as a mushier wave, it's still a reefbreak -- you'll feel the power beneath your feet. The beach swells with sunbathers during summer months, and, at times, it looks more like a jet-setter's resort than a historically localized surf spot.

Best tide: medium
Best swell direction: W, NW, SW
Best size: 3 feet plus
Best wind: E

Perfecto-meter: 5 (1=Lake Erie; 10=Jeffreys Bay)
Bottom: rock, sand, eel grass
Ability level: medium to advanced
Bring your: shortboard, longboard, Windansea Surf Club dues
Best season: year-round
Access: easy -- turn down Nautilus Street, take it to the beach, look for the shack
Crowd factor: mobbed
Local vibe: surly
Bicep burn: 5 (1=knee-high Waikiki; 10=triple-overhead Ocean Beach)
Poo patrol: 3 (1=clean; 10=turds in the lineup)
Shark danger: 1 (1=none; 10=bring an iron cage)

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