My wife and I spent February 2009 in San Sebastian surfing and taking spanish classes. The Basque coast is an incredibly wave rich area with a great variety of breaks. San Sebastian itself has a decent beach break that is walking distance from pretty much anywhere in town (Driving in town sucks anyway!) but if you want to explore the surrounding coastline I would definitely recommend a car. Many quality breaks are within a 45 min drive between the south coast of France (to the North East) and the famous Mundaka (to the West). In general the waves in this region get going in Fall and keep pumping through Winter but get ready for cold water and potentially big surf (a slightly larger board won't hurt). There are several surf shops in the area with good rental equipment at a reasonable price if you don't want the hassle of bringing your own board. If you're in this area be sure to find a local Cider house and eat and drink like royalty for a reasonable fixed price and be sure to tour the Pintxo bars as well(Tapas are known as Pintxos in Basque country). All in all a great destination with good waves, interesting local culture, and cool surfers.