Culprit: Coastal Highway 

Stanley’s Reef, Ventura, California RIP 1970

In 1970 State Highway Engineers upgraded and relocated the existing Pacific Coast highway north of Ventura. The new freeway onramp next to the community of Sea Cliff ruined the surf at Stanley’s Reef. Stanley’s Reef is named after a small diner that used to serve great steaks right there.

The engineers dropped boulders onto the sand and small cobblestone beach and surf line to accommodate the overpass. Therefore, the oil company motivated road expansion was the cause for Stanley’s reef to be ruined.

Stanley’s reef used to be an excellent wave. The kelp beds that used to lie outside the break and the afternoon winds swells coming from the Santa Barbra Channel made for excellent surf during both summer and winter. The summer was more renowned for its better waves.

There used to be both rights and lefts that would barrel consistently with thin playful lips. It was a unique break because unlike its neighbor Rincon it broke on both north and south swells. It was a really good and consistent bread and butter break.

Once the boulders were in place they stopped the replacement of sand from the dirt cliffs and two small streams that used to feed onto the beach. It no longer breaks which is especially rough because it used to almost always break.