It’s no secret. Black’s is one of the best beachbreaks in the state. Ask any freshman UCSD surfer who scores a magical mid-winter, midweek low tide afternoon and they’ll tell ya. About bombing NW groundswell, rearing up into a-frames and tapered walls — thanks to the well-positioned offshore underwater canyon that focuses long-period energy into peaks rather than closeouts.

Golden sand. Majestic cliffs. Some of the bluest water in California. Dolphins frolicking. Surrounded by multi-million dollar mansions, with nary a McDonald’s in sight. A stunning place to go surfing. And of course the jump from eager, smiling freshman to grizzled frowning local isn’t so far, given this fact. Like most great surf spots in the world, its beauty is also its demise, and you’ll likely be sharing the magic with dozens (hundreds?) of equally enthralled devotees.

The one saving grace that prevents Black’s from becoming completely overrun is the long, calf-burning hike in and out. No quick, 30-minute lunch sessions here. There’s two main options: the Salk Canyon road, a paved road that switchbacks down the cliffs to the south end of the beach, and the Torrey Pines Gliderport trail, which snakes down the cliffside at the beach’s north end. Each has its proponents, and both take a while — and both will certainly warm up your legs for the dawn patrol.

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There are three main peaks, shifting phantom peaks and sneaky insiders that work according to conditions. A deepwater canyon attracts most any swell with west in it and holds waves from two feet to as big as it gets. During head-high and smaller swells, low to medium tides are best, but during large swells, it’s less tide sensitive. It should be obvious, by the glider port on the north end, that the dominant wind is onshore.

Black’s has long been a celebrated nudist beach, existing in spite of a 1976 citywide vote banning nudity here and at other city beaches. In fact, the nudies may be able to claim a more entrenched, if not longer, residence at Black’s than surfers. But the obscene and surfing have come, over the years, to meld into the essential Black’s experience.

In an attempt to reign in the freewheeling nudists, the city imposed a “nude line,” which is basically a line drawn in the sand and a couple of signs posted. The line is about 20 yards north of Black’s North Peak and prohibits nudity south of it. Squeamish surfers can now use the gated road off of La Jolla Farms Road, which ends up at the South Peak, and avoid the nudists altogether. From the bluff above, on a clear day, you can see Catalina Island. So, be warned: a line in the sand on this broad beach doesn’t offer much protection against exposure to renegade franks and beans.

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