One of the many benefits of living in California is that you’re right by the coast. In California, you can go ski the mountains, hiking in the pines, drive through the desert, and surfing on the coast all in one day. Some might assume the best time to go to the coast is in the summer. That might be true if all you want to do is lay out in the sun. However, if you’re a surfer, you’ll find the best time to go catch some waves is in the winter.

That is if you want bigger swells. According to Surfline, the perks of surfing in the winter include: less crowds and a bigger swell. The winter swell usually occurs in November to February. Even though you can surf year round, winter has a few perks.

The fewer people in the water allows you to focus one performing tricks...