Oceanside's harvest of beach-break peaks and barrels work year-round, but are clearest on a south swell at low to medium tide. It's usually bigger than the rest of the County. A good rule of thumb with Oceanside is that it blows out early. To get the glass (and beat the summer blackballs and crowds), get there at the crack of dawn. From Buccaneer Beach in south Oceanside to the pier, peaks break along Pacific Street and The Strand. The best waves follow the migratory sandbars.
When it's cranking, the jetty, at the foot of South Harbor Drive and the mouth of the San Luis Rey River, serves up torquing barrels. This jetty is usually the last Oceanside wave to close out on a big swell. Find metered parking along south Harbor Drive and free parking at Cape Cod Village.
Oceanside is the proud home of the California Surf Museum. Visit their page on this site... www.oceansidechamber.com/Museums/California-Surf-Museum