South Los Angeles
With the swell magnet beachbreak expanse of El Porto being the region’s indicator and ole faithful go-to, the South Bay’s series of jetties create interesting sandbars throughout the year. And while the zone is mostly known for winter swells, summer has its share of wind-driven (or south angled) moments for all skill levels.
The Waves
El Porto
Despite its many personalities, El Porto is not particularly known for outstanding wave quality. It is, however, a NW swell magnet and it's almost always bigger than any other spot in the South Bay during the winter months. The trick is to find the zone with the "holes," as the locals call them, referring to breaks in the relentless closeouts up and down the beach. With spring sandbars and/or a crossed-up swell, El Porto can get really good, and really crowded. In years past, the area has taken hits from beach nourishment programs, wherein tons of sand were trucked in, turning the place into walled-out closeouts. Nonetheless, El Porto does, at times, get machine-like. LOCAL RESOURCES: South Bay Boardriders Club | Meet Up: South Bay Surf | South Bay Surfrider Foundation | Heal the Bay | Stoked Mentoring LINEUP TIPS: Etiquette | Surf Safety Basics
Manhattan Beach
The best bets for good surf are mixed, combo swells and hope for defined sandbars. All spots south of Manhattan are increasingly shadowed from south/summer swell and rely primarily on southwest, west, and northwest swells. Marine Street is usually the best south swell spot in Manhattan. The beachbreaks are usually walled with some better-shaped waves near the Manhattan Pier. br> LOCAL RESOURCES: South Bay Boardriders Club | Meet Up: South Bay Surf | South Bay Surfrider Foundation | Heal the Bay | Stoked Mentoring
Hermosa Beach
Five miles of classic California beaches and communities, when it comes to getting Hermosa Beach good, the best bet is medium tides and dual swells. All spots south of Manhattan are increasingly shadowed from south/summer swell. When the surf does make it into Hermosa, the quality of waves is largely dependent on what the sand is doing.
Redondo Beach
One of L.A.'s few big-wave spots, Redondo Breakwater is a fast, walled left that breaks across the front of the King Harbor breakwall. On N and W swells bigger than six feet, this spot can hold up to 20 feet. The wave refracts and is amplified off of the jetty, spinning out long, fast lefts that end in a sucker-punch shorebreak. An Army Corps of Engineers project in 1997 moved some new rocks out onto the bend in the wall, and that, combined with the ongoing loss of sand, is costing the spot some of its former glory. According to regulars, the peak has moved closer to the beach, and the wave doesn't wedge off the jetty as well.
Haggerty's
Probably the best-shaped wave in the Palos Verdes area, Haggerty's takes all north and west swells from 3 to 15 feet and grooms them into a classic left point/reef with three different takeoff zones:Lower Haggerty'sInside leftovers that peel through here act more as a relief valve for the pack at Haggerty's than anything else. Fun mushy lefts that need a sizable swell to squeak into this corner of the bay. The first of the PV reefbreaks, Rat actually starts inside of this spot (Rat being "Right after Torrance").Haggerty's (Hag's) Always a shade smaller than spots farther out at the Cove, Hag's makes up for it in shape. A beautiful, 100-yard left on a solid west, it starts to work at 3 feet, but only if you're willing to risk shallow rocks in the cramped take-off zone. On smaller days, the regular crew leans toward the young and the restless. Expect to be snaked, and out-snaked, as you play priority leapfrog near the rocks. On larger swells, the pack spreads out with a more senior influence.Upper Haggerty's (Middles)On a largest direct west, Uppers appears as a deceptively perfect left point. A longer, faster and much more consequential barrel than Hag's, Uppers needs at least a 6-foot swell to clear the rocks in the lineup. When conditions are just right, it's one of those paddle-jump-and-run waves, where only the fastest, or the foolhardy, attempt it from farther back. Most scamper for the safety of the shoulder. There's more of the same even farther out around the point at Exiles (Indicator).
“The vibe is amazing. It’s super welcoming. Waves all year round. It's a big melting pot of different people, yet still a pretty small bubble in the South Bay, so, everyone kind of knows each other.”
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South Los Angeles According to...
Hunter
Jones
Local pro offers intel on the South Bay
What makes the South Bay a special destination for surfers?
So many of the spots are right off the 405, like our main wave, El Porto. It's got a huge parking lot, so a lot of people can drive out here, go get a surf in, and then go to work. We kind of have waves all-year round, too, which is pretty rad. The waves are pretty easy to ride around here, too. It’s a whole beach community. There's a ton of surf history in the South Bay, and outside of that, we're an hour from Malibu north, or an hour from San Clemente south. It's a really good, little spot to be.
What kind of waves can visiting surfers expect?
We're all breachbreaks. So, we're relying on sandbars to form. You could go to the main spots, like Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Redondo, Hermosa, and find a sandbar, but there's also a handful of jetties and a handful of piers that can create their own sandbars, too. So, when the swells are a little bit more walled, which we tend to get here, I'll go to the jetties or piers, and/or if we have a good tide that mixes with a good sandbar, I'll keep my eyes on what windows work for them.
What’s the vibe?
The vibe is amazing. Honestly, it's super welcoming. It's a big melting pot of different people. You have a ton of young surfers. You have the local legends. You have some up-and-coming groms, and then you have the local pros. It's a little bubble in the South Bay, so, everyone kind of knows each other.
What should surfers bring?
I'd say you don't need a pinned-out, super gnarly pro surfboard. A hybrid board is pretty good for South Bay. Our waves don't have a ton of punch, so for the most part, probably like a groveler hybrid-type surfboard is pretty good, unless it gets a little bit bigger. You want kind of a flatter board for our waves. You don't need something with a ton of rocker. I always suggest people to hit up the local shapers, or head to your local shops, and they'll dial you in really well. We're normally wearing 3/2s most of the year, maybe even trunks in the summer, and then 4/3s in the winter. It doesn't get too cold.
When is the best time to score?
My favorite season is Fall because it's actually still super hot. You get the change of season, so you're getting different swells, but the sand is really good. So, my pro tip is that just before winter, when we get our really big swells, all the sand that has built up over the summer gets thrown around in weird spots, which can be good, until it settles down for a bit. So, that's a really good little window, and you can kind of find anything you want.
What else is there to do when you’re not surfing?
There's a ton to do, whether that's music, drinks, eating good food...Santa Monica's also a really cool zone to hang out in which isn’t far from us. Palo Verdes is beautiful. It's always fun to go down there and look around and see the tide pools and nature. The beach life's amazing in the South Bay. And if you’re into golf, there's a handful of golf courses in the South Bay. You've got the Lakes. You have Alondra. There's a cool little random golf course in Torrance called Sea-Aire. It's a fun little par 3.
What’s your favorite local food?
There's a really cool Mexican joint called El Tarasco's, which is a random little hut, right on Rosecrans, steps away from El Porto. I typically hit that after a surf. BOA Steakhouse, in Manhattan Beach, is super proper.
Where would someone go to learn how to surf?
I’d point them to Sapphire St. in Redondo Beach.
What should visitors know about the local culture?
I think it goes for all surf spots, but basically: give respect and you'll get respect. I’d also just say to go out, talk to the people in the lineup, observe who's getting waves, and you’ll find that South Bay's a super inviting place. You're not going to get rousted too hard, but the easiest way to approach any wave is to go out, show respect, and then wait your turn.
Travel Essentials
Culture and Customs
The South Bay, stretching from Palos Verdes to El Segundo, has long punched above its weight class as far as surf-influence. In the 1940s and ’50s, pioneers like Dale Velzy and Hap Jacobs were shaping balsa boards in Hermosa Beach, laying the foundation for the modern surfboard industry. The ‘60s raised stylish chargers like Greg Noll, Dewey Weber and Mike Purpus, as the beach breaks of Manhattan and Redondo became hotbeds of surf progression. By the ’80s and ’90s, a new breed of competitive surfers and punk rock-infused localism shaped the area's gritty rep, causing kids watching Taylor Steele videos to find out how to get a Spider [surfboard] or a Body Glove wetsuit. Today, the South Bay still remains a core surf zone, part working-class tradition, part competitive hub, where surfers ride everything from twin fins to soft tops, often on the same tide.
Local Scene
Even with most of the spots being right off one of America’s busiest traffic arteries (the infamous 405), most South Bay spots have a small, surf town vibe and feel in the lineup and on land. With the sand banks shifting a bit throughout the year (forming well at certain jetties and piers), it’s a bit of a IYKYK situation. Plus, when spots like El Porto get proper, it separates the newbies from the more advanced who know where to paddle out. Beyond that, quite a welcoming mix of diverse backgrounds and cultures on the beach, with a healthy dose of local, blue-collar LA grit.
What to bring
Board-wise, bring whatever you'd ride at home in fun, waist to overhead-high beachbreak surf. Nine-foot log, 8’0” mid-length, 5'10" thruster, 5'6" fish, bodyboard — even a solid step-up rounded-pin for some of the solid double-overhead+ winter swells. Rubber-wise, a 4/3mm (w/ boots if you want) will get you through winter, summer and fall can warm up to almost trunkable, with 3/2s or shortarms in between. On land, having a light jacket in the summer is always smart if/when the afternoon marine layer rolls in, or a puffer jacket for the early morning dawn patrols.
How to get there
Pretty darn easy: Land in LAX, rent a car (Kayak, Booking.com, Orbit etc.), and you’re already 5 minutes from El Porto, the zone’s most consistent wave.
Downtime
You’re in LA, so there’s absolutely no shortage of stimuli. Catch a Dodger’s game? Lakers or Clippers fan? Chargers or Rams? Disneyland is barely 45 minutes away, as well as Knotts Berry Farm. There’s tons of great little golf courses in the area if that’s your thing and if you want to keep it coastal, Manhattan Beach south to PV are all groovy little surf towns with good people and fun bars. The ritzy community of Palos Verdes aka PV on the south end of the South Bay is gorgeous for a drive around, with tidepools and coves to explore.
Quick Tips
Travel Time
JFK: 6 hours
Heathrow: 12 hours
Sydney: 14 hours
Connectivity
Everywhere.
Currency
USD.
Avg. cost of...
Coffee: $5.00
Lunch: $20.00
Beer: $8.00
Hotel room: $200
Visa Requirements
Yes. Depends where you're coming from. Check with your local consulate.
Drinking water quality
Clean.
Hazards
Traffic, parking tickets, winter swell currents, water quality post-rain.
Cash, card, crypto
Credit cards are widely accepted, and access to ATMs is readily available.
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