My Take on the Surf Culture in Isla Vista: No Place Like Devs

The always sunny town of Isla Vista spans just over a square mile across Santa Barbara’s coastline. Each night at sunset, a mass migration of its almost entirely college student population make way to the bluffs to watch the sky change color, many of them with surfboards under their arms. 

They look out over Devreux beach, a vast point break, known by Isla Vista residents exclusively as “Devs.” On a good day, Devs breaks from its point, the Coil Oil Point Natural Reserve, to a peak lovingly referred to as “Dreamys,” about a half mile down the beach. UCSB student Ben Bray says that it’s far more than just a surf spot—- it’s the heart of Isla Vista and a place a social hub of the community.

“You kind of always see someone you know,” Bray says, explaining that you don’t even need to make plans to surf with your friends—- if there are waves, they’ll just be out there. Paddling out anytime of day is a guaranteed social hour— sunset is happy hour.

“It is mostly run by students,” Bray says, referring to the fact that nearly everyone out in the lineup is someone you’ve seen on campus at one time or another. The kind, welcomeness of the environment is also noteworthy—- anyone who paddles out will be met with smiling faces. 

“It’s not really a competitive place to be. No one’s trying to snake your waves and you're all just having fun out there” he says. 

The judgment and localism that is built into the foundation of many surf breaks is non-existent in Isla Vista. This uniquely welcoming nature paired with gentle log-able waves at Devs make it a prime place for residents who have never surfed before to pick up a board for the first time. 

Riley Clark, UCSB alumni originally from Colorado, began surfing almost immediately after moving to California to attend college. She says she found Isla Vista to be a great place to learn how to surf, partially attributing this to the mellow waves that Devs presents. “There are no crazy waves,” says Clark. She explains that being able to count on chill conditions made the whole learning process far less intimidating. 

Besides the waves, Clark notes another reason Isla Vista is such an idyllic place to learn to surf— so many people are first timers. “A lot of my friends also were just in their beginning phases of surfing too” says Clark, referring to her early days.

Clark says she never experienced localism at Devs— the closest thing to it was a fear of upperclassmen and people who surfed better than her. But once she became comfortable talking to people in the lineup, she realized there was no judgement in the water. “They just also wanted me to learn how to surf,” she says.

Localism doesn’t prevent people from getting in the water at Devs, but there is a far bigger obstacle that hinders surfing in Isla Vista— the Channel Islands. Sitting not far off the coast, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Island block much of the swell that would otherwise hit Isla Vista’s shores, oftentimes robbing Devs of swell completely.  

Waves not being a given makes surfing in Isla Vista all the more special, according to UCSB student Reese Raygoza. 

“It feels like Christmas morning,” says Raygoza, describing the feeling of doing a ritualistic morning surf check and there actually being waves. On such days her first order of business is calling everyone she knows to meet her in the water—- the stoke being highest when there haven’t been waves for a while.

Walking out your door and being able to walk to your home break surrounded by all your friends is a pretty rare and incredible situation, says Raygoza. “It’s even more special that those days are limited.”