History Lesson 1. Worth noting, I realize this is well known to all south OC locals. For us transplants, this is mind blowing. Prior to what is now Dana Point Harbor you had Dana Cove. Records show that in 1835 a sailor named Richard Dana would collect his cowhides there, which is where the city and cove got its name. When seas were calm it was a perfect place to anchor a boat. When swells rolled in the sea floor amplified creating one of the best right point breaks in California. This iconic surf break was renamed by surfers as “Killer Dana”. In 1966 the Army Corps of Engineered began building two massive breakwaters that would enclose the cove and destroy the wave. In 1971 the first boats sailed into their slips and Dana Cove became Dana Harbor. Unfortunately, we no longer have an epic point break but we do have baby beach. The perfect beach for babies where you can guarantee a wave will never come.
