Best Location in Pacific Beach… San Diego… California!
Does PB Surf Shop Have the Best Location in the Country?
I’m going to start this by ruling out the best location in the world considering I’ve been to a Surf Shop on the cliffs of Uluwatu and well… It’s tough to beat that. I’m also going to assume there are a few more of those super rad shops at some of the other tropical surf locations around the world and even Hawaii, so now we’re talking the contiguous United States. But yeah – Hawaii aside, Does PB Surf Shop have the best location in the United States? One could argue yes and at very least, it’s definitely a candidate – I’ll tell you why.
1.PB Surf Shop is Located on the Beach in the Heart of Pacific Beach
There’s nothing like being able to walk into a shop, rent or buy a board and wetsuit, then walk fifty steps to get to some waves. You can literally stare at the waves while figuring out which board you want to surf! There have been many out-of-towners who come to the shop with no-such-plans to surf; see the waves, see the shop, and grab a board for a quick hour or two to take advantage of the great weather, waves, and the convenience of a surf/rental shop on the beach. If nothing else, it’s a great view while you come in to shop.
2. It’s ALWAYS a Good Day to Surf at PB Surf Shop
San Diego is known by all for great weather and fun waves, but not every spot always has waves. While the beach break in front of the shop is not the best when the waves are good in SD, it has surfable waves about 350 days of the year – more like 360 if you’re a beginner. So while you may seek a better spot when it’s pumping, you can always grab a log or foamie and catch a few right in front of the shop. If it wasn’t worth it, come back to the shop, grab a hot shower (Yes, a hot shower 150 ft. from the ocean), then set yourself up next door with a drink and bite to eat at arguably the best outdoor bar in San Diego – which brings us to the the next reason why PB Surf Shop has a primo location.
3. Great Food and Shopping Nearby
PB Surf Shop isn’t the only business on the beach. It is surrounded by shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs to make your day of surfing even better. If there is something you’re looking to do after you get a surf in, you will be able to find what you need within walking distance. That said, the shop gets visitors throughout the day who are on their way somewhere else, but pop in to ask how the surf’s been, pick up some wax, or even grab a board and paddle out. If you’re looking for specific recommendations, shop employees are always happy to recommend a few favorites, but when it comes to bars and restaurants the usual response is, “They’re all really good, you can’t go wrong…” It’s true too, and in my experience, there’s not many places in the US where you can say that with confidence.
4. The Pacific Beach Boardwalk Experience
Anyone who has visited Pacific Beach knows that the boardwalk is well… unique. Right in front of PB Surf Shop, you can find every type of person you can imagine – tourists, families, drunk people, people working, people who live on the boardwalk wall, people who spend so much time there you think they live on the boardwalk wall, locals, people from Philly who think their locals, celebrities, people who think they’re celebrities, Joe Dreamz, frat bros, artists, people in costumes, youtubers, guys in G-Strings who lost their fantasy football season, and even people who became national celebrities because of the PB Boardwalk, like PB’s beloved Slow Mo!
Also, all these people from vastly different backgrounds are all on different vehicles – bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, roller skates, those little skateboards for each foot that look like roller skates, ripsticks, unicycles, swivel bikes (don’t ask), recumbent bicycles, stilts, surreys, and some are just held up by their friends because they cant stand. AND, this list doesn’t include all the vehicles that aren’t even legal to have on the boardwalk but are all over – like hoverboards, e-bikes, e-skates, one-wheels, segways, gas powered bicycles (I’ve seen it), even a golf cart will make its way on there occasionally! Cram all of this into a two-way, 8 ft stretch of pavement on the beach and you’ll have the best show you’ve seen since Breaking Bad ended.
But seriously, the boardwalk is an awesome place to soak in the San Diego sun while experiencing the positive vibes and beautiful views that draw so many people to America’s Finest City.
So what do you think? Does PB Surf Shop have the best location in the contiguous United States? You’ll have to come check us out (if you haven’t already) to refute that claim – and remember, we didn’t even mention the dogs and sunsets; the two most beautiful parts of the location on the PB Boardwalk. I will say this – I think anyone associated with PBSS, including many loyal customers, are very stoked that a surf shop and surf school exists in such an unbelievable location right here in San Diego.
