Waterman’s Plaza in Dana Point is a commemorative site dedicated to the maritime history and the significant contributions of watermen—those who engage in ocean and water activities, such as surfers and sailors. The plaza serves as a tribute to the local community’s strong connection to the ocean and celebrates the legacy of these individuals who have shaped the cultural and recreational landscape of Dana Point. The plaza features sculptures, plaques, and other installations that honor notable watermen and their achievements, making it a point of historical and cultural interest for both residents and visitors.
Visit Dana Point Spotlights Surf Innovators at Waterman’s Plaza:
Golden statues commemorating local surf icons, Hobie Alter and Phil Edwards pay homage to their significance to Dana Point’s surfing heritage. Walk around and take in the historical timelines as you read about each of these surf innovators. Hobie’s statue depicts him riding his Hobie Cat while Phil Edward’s bronze captures him just as he was during the big surf days of the 1950s and 1960s catching waves along the coast of Dana Point.
Edwards and Hobie were friends and played parts in the surf film, The Endless Summer. Bruce Brown the filmmaker, surfboard maker Dale Velzy, and the late founder of Surfer Magazine, John Severson will be added statues to the surfing legacy of Dana Point. The life-sized sculptures created by local artist Bill Limebrook, grew up in town off of Beach Road near Capo Beach. Local and historical is what these monuments depict. Shedding the light on chasing the waves and sunshine here in Orange County. Check them out and learn more about Dana Point’s surfing history at PCH Plaza right across from Doheny State Beach.
Richfield Tower
Adjacent to this plaza is the Richfield Gas Station display. The Richfield Gas Staton was standing in 1928-33 at the base of Doheny with the old Dana bluffs behind it.
According to the DP Times, “Today, a modern ARCO gas station operates where Richfield’s Capistrano Beach tower once stood, demolished in 1971 to widen PCH.
Dana Point businessman Richard Deffenbaugh preserved the beacon light in 1971 for posterity. In 2014, he donated it to the Dana Point Historical Society, which displays it in its visitor center at city hall.
Design-wise, Richfield’s beacon stations in California were uniform—Spanish—from Palm City (just above Tijuana) north to Willows. Beyond that, stations had an alpine design. At Paso Robles, a small Spanish building identical to the onetime Willows and Capistrano Beach Richfield stations still exists. It’s a bus stop. The Willows building is a trucking company.”
