Best surf beaches in USA, 2026
25 surf beaches in USA that score highest on the OnlyBeaches Index for what matters to surf travellers.How we rank →
1OBI 7.5+
Asilomar State Beach
Pacific Grove, USA
Landmark Monterey Peninsula shoreline with strong destination value.
2OBI 7.5+
Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach, USA
A core Beaches Towns entry with real regional value beyond Jacksonville Beach proper.
3OBI 7.5+
Beacon’s Beach
Encinitas, USA
Strong local-surf identity but lower mainstream visibility. (San Diego)
4OBI 7.5+
Big Shell Beach
Corpus Christi, USA
One of Texass most unique shell-covered beaches.
5OBI 7.5+
Black’s Beach
La Jolla, USA
San Diego Tourism repeatedly highlights Black’s as one of the county’s distinctive cliff-backed surf beaches. (San Diego)
6OBI 7.5+
Bob Hall Pier Beach
Corpus Christi, USA
The pier area is one of the strongest user-facing beach identities on Padre Island. (Visit Corpus Christi)
7OBI 7.5+
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Huntington Beach, USA
One of the strongest secondary OC beaches because it combines surf value with a major coastal habitat setting. (California State Parks)
Cardiff State Beach
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, USA
California State Parks identifies Cardiff as a signature San Diego Coast District surf-event beach. (California State Parks)
9OBI 7.5+
Cocoa Beach
Cocoa Beach, USA
The Space Coasts signature beach and one of Floridas most recognizable surf-driven beach names.
10OBI 7.5+
Croatan Beach
Virginia Beach, USA
family
11OBI 7.5+
Davenport Landing Beach
Davenport, USA
Well-known local surf stop north of Santa Cruz.
12OBI 7.5+
Deerfield Beach
Deerfield Beach, USA
One of Greater Fort Lauderdales most important family beaches with strong standalone destination pull.
13OBI 7.5+
Democrat Point Beach
Babylon, USA
A cult South Shore surf-and-fishing beach often missed by generic beach lists. (NYS Parks and Recreation)
14OBI 7.5+
Ditch Plains Beach
Montauk, USA
The best-known surf beach in Montauk and one of the South Shore’s strongest lifestyle beach brands. (Discover Long Island)
Ehukai Beach Park
Haleiwa, USA
famous
Emma Wood State Beach
Ventura, USA
Strong regional surf-and-scenic beach north of Ventura.
Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach, USA
The core beach-town listing in Flagler County and one of the regions strongest smaller-city beach brands.
18OBI 7.5+
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park Beach
Fort Pierce, USA
One of the Treasure Coasts strongest protected beach parks, with recognized surf value and broad user intent.
Freeman Park Beach
Carolina Beach, USA
offroad
Gilgo Beach
Gilgo Beach, USA
More under-the-radar than Jones Beach but highly meaningful for South Shore surf and barrier-beach discovery. (NYS Parks and Recreation)
Grandview Beach
Encinitas, USA
Genuine hidden-gem beach with useful discovery value. (San Diego)
22OBI 7.5+
Hanna Park Beach
Jacksonville, USA
A real surfing and family-use beach that often gets lost inside broader Jacksonville coverage.
Haskell’s Beach
Goleta, USA
Local-favorite beach with more user value than generic maps suggest.
Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach, USA
Strong beach-culture and nightlife relevance. (Beaches & Harbors)
25OBI 7.5+
Hither Hills State Park Beach
Montauk, USA
Core Montauk-area ocean beach with protected state-park appeal and strong discovery demand. (NYS Parks and Recreation)