Seven Jetties If you've ever stopped to admire the view south of the Ventura Pier, the first thing that catches your eye is the handful of rock groins scattered along San Buenaventura State Beach. Extending down to the harbor area, this series of jetties could be considered some of Ventura County's finer sand management structures on days of smaller surf. Each protruding roughly 30 yards from shore, these jetties were built many years ago to keep sand and sediment from being pushed into the harbor mouth by the pounding northwest swells and brutal currents typical of this part of the region. Although small in size, the meager jetty formations are indeed capable of dramatically controlling the bottom conditions here and generating some pretty fun surf. On low tides at Seven Jetties, the flat bottom causes the incoming swells to break outside the rock groins. On high tides, the incoming surf interacts more with the sand deposits around the jetties. This produces a truly dynamic surfing environment. Certain jetties create a dumping shorebreak that can wedge off the rock formations, while other jetties line up the swells like a rolling pointbreak. In the winter season, northwest swell energy approaches the break at an angle, and funnels draining rights down the beach. Depending on the swell size and a few other factors, some of the sandbars are overpowered by the direct hit and may completely close out. Your solution in this instance is to head south toward the north end of the Ventura Harbor. Fronting Marina Park is an occasionally potent right that peels into the harbor mouth off the last jetty. The current here is strong and sleeper sets are common. Keep your eyes on the horizon and use the harbor breakwall as an indicator. While not a big wave spot, under small to medium swell conditions and cooperative winds, Seven Jetties can be an absolute beachbreak delight.