Water Sports at the Malibu Pier — one of the top surfing spots in the world Right along the Pacific Coast Highway up a way from Santa Monica — or over the mountains from the 101, a bit south of Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road — is the Malibu Pier, Surfrider Beach, and the Malibu Surf Shack.
[clearboth] The Malibu Surf Shack is pretty much across the street from the Pier. This small, friendly shop is chock full of hanging surf boards and wet suits. Outside are large stashes of Surfboards, Boogie Boards and Stand Up Paddle Boards awaiting rental. In a truck across the street is a selection of single and tandem kayaks. [clearboth]
Kayaking in Malibu’s Pacific Ocean
If you’ve never kayaked in the ocean it can look a bit daunting. Unlike a lake, there are waves many months of the year. (I’d forgotten that fact when I set out to do this.) The guys from the Surf Shack allayed my fears. The first bit of water, about 1/4 way out to the end of the pier has the waves, but then you’re quickly behind them. To get out there, you wait as the waves pass. They come in sets, so after a set you get into your kayak and paddle out quickly. From there on there are no worries. The staff at the surf shop will tell you about the number of waves in a set and give you directions. In December the water is smoother, so you won’t even have to think about waves.
Soon it struck me that I was on the other side of the pier, out in the ocean, behind a bunch of surfers, watching as the waves formed between our kayak and the surfers, enjoying the show as they rode in on the waves. (There was some fancy doubles-riding going on, too!)
If you rent the kayak for two hours you can head up the coast enough to see some nice kelp beds. The water is particularly clear in the winter months. You may also be treated to a show of playful dolphins.
While there, the owner and staff talked me into some more adventure —Stand Up Paddle Boards! (I’d never even heard of these.) Apparently they’ve been known in Hawaii for ages but are new to the US just in the past few years. These are large boards on which you can lie down, kneel, sit, or stand. As with the kayak, you get out past the wavy part. I did this by paddling out on my knees with my butt resting on the board, as did the others I saw. Once past that point, you can get up on your knees and then stand. The paddle is one-sided and has a long handle. You paddle a bit on one side then the other.
wasn’t up to standing up fully, but not for fear of falling into the water. (In fact, the water was so inviting that I went in after bringing my board in.) Several others were on the water, out behind the surfers and proceeding up the coast, making it seem effortless.
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Food by the Malibu Pier
Malibu is also a great place to enjoy a great meal. One of my favorite casual places — The Fish Grill — is right there, right below the Malibu Surf Shack. There’s also the Beachcomber on the pier. They have a nice brunch, and a great clam chowder. You can sit inside, sit on the boardwalk, or sit by the bar. And if you bring a group you might love their private tiki room. If you prefer a casual burger and shake, there’s Ruby’s Dinner at the end of the pier. [hr]![Malibu_stand-up26](http://losangelesarealife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Malibu_stand-up26-1-1.png)
Lessons, Pricing & Location
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If you’re not familiar with a water sport, you can always learn. The Malibu Surf Shack has lessons — and guided kayak rides. Activities/Rentals — Summer Rates 2010 (EDIT) Surfboard Rentals: $xx for the day Boogie Board Rentals: $xx for the day Stand Up Paddle Boards: $xx for 2 hrs. Single Kayaks: $xx for the day Tandem Kayaks: $xx for the day In addition to rentals, the Malibu Surf Shack has group activities: Guided Stand Up Paddle Group, Stand Up Paddle Board Lessons, Guided Kayak Group, and Surf Lessons. Malibu Surf Shack Group Activities Guided Stand Up Paddle Group Sunday mornings at 10 — $45 Guided Kayak Group Saturday mornings at 10 — $35 Surf Lessons $100 for 1 1/2 hours including wet suit and board Stand Up Paddle Board Lessons $100 for 1 hour including board and paddle Activities/Rentals — Winter Rates ’09 Surfboard Rentals: $25 for the day Boogie Board Rentals: $15 for the day Stand Up Paddle Boards: $40 for 2 hrs. Single Kayaks: $20 for the day Tandem Kayaks: $25 for the day[clearboth]
Other coastal sport areas
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Big Bear Lake: A Perfect Summer Break
Cooler air, wakeboarding or touring, and so much more
About 2½ hours from Los Angeles…
by Deborah Shadovitz with Muna Deriane When the Los Angeles area’s summer heat gets to you, or you simply need an easy vacation, consider a trip to Big Bear. The air’s about 20 degrees cooler and it’s only about 2½ hours away. The tree-lined mountains are magnificent scenery and the lake is beautiful. You’ll get to breath deeply and truly relax. You can’t help but feel rejuvenated up there and the variety of activities may surprise you. [clearboth] With 22 miles of shoreline and a south side that expands into the mountains, there are plenty of accommodations to choose from. We opted for the charming Adirondack-inspired, full service hotel, the Northwoods Resort, conveniently located close to the lake and most of what we planned to do. Big Bear was larger than we expected. We realized that because being great for both summer and winter sports, the homes and guest accommodations are not just around the lake but extend to the feet of the mountains.Wakeboarding! with Designated Wake Sports
Planning to water-ski, we contacted Desi Hauer, owner ofDesignated Wake Sports, and although he rents water skis, he suggested we discover wakeboarding — a cross between water skiing, surfing, and skateboarding.![BigBear_Desi5](http://losangelesarealife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BigBear_Desi5-1-1.png)
Want to try wakeboarding? Designated Wake Sports operates out of Pleasure Point Marina. Best value is the half-day (four hours) with five riders. They also offer other tow-behind rides. Call to inquire or book, even day-of, as the office is not always staffed. Designated Wake Sports 603 Landlock Landing Road Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 909-556-3345 DesignatedWakeSports.com[hr]
Water Slide, Alpine Slide, GoCarts and More
We both find water slides alluring, but not the long lines at large water parks, so we appreciated getting our water slide fix here on the Magic Mountain Alpine Water Slide. Also here, is the quarter-mile Alpine Slide, pretty much a bobsled, but you ride a wheeled dolly down the long, winding track. When was the last time you went speeding downhill, hugging banked curves, simply enjoying speed without worry of crashing? Speaking of speed without crashing, we had a blast speeding around on the 5.5 horsepower Go-Cart rides. The Go-Carts are a fun driving experience for children of course, but I think Muna and I had just as much fun on them. As we sped around we noticed a family we’d met earlier was there too, enjoying the 18-hole miniature golf course and the small arcade. Big Bear’s Magic Mountain is fun for all ages. This moderately sized amusement park will keep you and your entire family entertained. Wanna ride? The hours vary by season and there are several pricing plans, so visit their site for info. Magic Mountain 800 Wildrose Lane Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 909-866-4626 AlpineSlideBigBear.com [hr]Scenic Sky Chair and Mountain Biking at Snow Summit
![BigBear_fromChairlift](http://losangelesarealife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BigBear_fromChairlift-1-1.png)
Want a Lift? Lift hours are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Snow Summit 880 Summit Blvd. Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 909-866-5766 BigBearMountainResorts.com[hr]
Surprisingly Excellent Theater
![BigBear_Oz1](http://losangelesarealife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BigBear_Oz1-1-1.png)
Big Bear Off-Road Adventures
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Taking a land tour Big Bear Off-Road Adventures offers several tours. Our tip: Bring water and snacks. Big Bear Off-Road Adventures 909-585-1036 OffRoadAdventure.com[hr]
Kayaking, Paddle Boating, Motoring and more
![BigBear_PleasurePointMarina](http://losangelesarealife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BigBear_PleasurePointMarina-1-1.png)
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Want to go boating? Kayaks come in single or double and are easy to use. Pontoon boats vary by size accommodating 4-12 people and the longer you rent it for, the better the deal. Split amongst a group of people, they’re pretty much the same per person cost as a man-powered boat. Heather and the crew are at the marina 7 a.m – 7 p.m. to answer questions or rent you a boat. Pleasure Point Marina 603 Landlock Landing Road Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 909-866-2455 PleasurePointBBL.com[clearboth] [hr]
Lake Tour on Miss Liberty Paddlewheel Tour Boat
![BigBear_Paddle](http://losangelesarealife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BigBear_Paddle-1-1.jpg)
Want to Ride? The tour runs at 2 p.m. daily. Call to learn of other tour times and of Twilight Cruises with music and appetizers. Ask for Captain Matt to arrange a special group package. (Sometimes children’s groups even have “Bugs Bunny” as a tour guide.) Miss Liberty Paddlewheel Tour Boat 400 Pine Knot Avenue Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 909-866-8129[clearboth] [hr]
Other things to do
There’s much more to do in Big Bear. Moonridge Animal Park is a unique sanctuary that takes in orphaned or injured animals and is home to over 89 species. There’s also the Big Bear Historical Museum, horseback riding, guided mountain biking, hiking, fishing, parasailing, a solar observatory, and even more. You can easily visit as a day trip. But with so much to do, and with hotel rates so reasonable, you’ll want to stay at least a couple of days. However long your visit to Big Bear, you’ll feel better for it.Learn more about vacationing in Big Bear, California
Learn more at BigBear.com. [hr] [clearboth]Where We Stayed & Ate
We stayed at Northwoods Resort, a 4-story hotel and beautiful conference center with onsite restaurant, heated pool and Jacuzzi, ample parking, and friendly staff. Our pool-facing room had double beds with benches at the foot of each, chairs, a small refrigerator and coffee maker, a separate bathroom area, a patio and plenty of space. (Some have fireplaces.) There are also video games and immediately accessible free wi-fi. Stillwells, the restaurant, has an upscale menu and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a short walk (.1mile) to the popular strip of shops and eateries where we had great burgers at Desi’s In The Village. (Yes, Desi, our wakeboarding instructor.) Pine Knot Marina is a nice .4 mile walk (east), the slides are just .6 miles (west), and Pleasure Point Marina is 2 miles (west). Northwoods Resort struck us as a great pace to book a large family gathering, wedding or business event. Northwoods Resort 40650 Village Drive, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 909-866-3121 NorthwoodsResort.comDesi’s In The Village 40766 Village Drive, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 909-866-3374]]>#LAAL