Pacific Beach Drive

Pacific Beach Drive is a beach break in Pacific Beach, CA, covered by a free live cam from Pacific Terrace Hotel.

About the Break

Pacific Beach is a wide, sandy beach break with peaks scattered along its length, generally a friendly, high-volume spot popular with beginners, longboarders, and the beach’s heavy boardwalk foot traffic. As a sand-bottom beach break, it’s generally well suited to longboarders, intermediate surfers, and anyone working on their pop-up — more forgiving than reef or point breaks, without a sharp takeoff zone or fixed hazard.

Surf Etiquette at Beach Breaks

Beach breaks tend to be more forgiving on etiquette than reef or point breaks: because the sandbars shift and there’s rarely one single best takeoff spot, the lineup is usually more spread out and less territorial. Still, the basics apply everywhere — the surfer closest to the peak has right of way, don’t drop in on someone already riding a wave, and take a moment to watch the lineup before paddling out if you’re new to it. Every break has its regulars, and a little patience goes a long way.

About the Cam Host

The cam is provided by Pacific Terrace Hotel, a beachfront hotel at 610 Diamond Street in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood, holding an AAA Four Diamond Award. Watch Live Cam →

Location & Access

Pacific Beach Drive sits on the Pacific coast in Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California. See the California surf guide for the full regional picture →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Pacific Beach Drive surf cam free to watch? Yes — every cam in the directory is free and public, no login required.

Where exactly is the camera? At Pacific Terrace Hotel in Pacific Beach, CA — see the map above.

Are there other free surf cams nearby? Yes — see Nearby Live Cams below.