Surfing Manhattan Beach

El Porto

When it comes to surfing Manhattan Beach, El Porto is typically the first spot that comes to mind. El Porto is one of, if not the most popular break in the South Bay region of Los Angeles. I regularly have to ask myself why because the waves are rarely good and have a tendency to closeout quickly. But with the right swell and the right tide you can catch an awesome session here. Beware, this is a pretty snappy wave so you will need to commit to your takeoff quickly.

The crowd here is just absolutely insane, especially during the summer. I regularly tell friends who are first-timers to stay away from here, it’s impossible to learn anything with how many people are in the water and it can become a safety issue. Don’t come here with the expectation that you are not going to get dropped in on. It will happen. But don’t let that kill your vibe, laugh about it and just have fun. That is what Porto is all about. 

All of that being said, I have had some very memorable sessions at El Porto! A good combo swell and a low/medium tide can bring some amazing waves. My favorite time to surf here is right before the sun starts to rise (before the parking lot opens at 6:30 AM). It can be hard to see but you can often catch some great rides all to yourself before the mayhem starts! Pro-tip, parking is free until 8AM, which is good news for the dawn patrol crowd.

Bruce’s Beach

I am certainly a bit biased in saying so but Bruce’s Beach is one of my favorite breaks to surf in Manhattan Beach. Not because the waves are great, the quality is pretty much the same as El Porto. But the vibes here are just a lot better than El Porto. El Porto tends to be a more competitive vibe, where as Bruce’s Beach is more relaxed. Bruce’s Beach is located just south of El Porto and the wave quality is mostly the same.

I also think what makes me prefer this break over El Porto is just the ever-so-slightly reduced crowd. There is a small public parking lot located between 26th and 27th street, but it is nowhere near as large as El Porto’s lot. Parking is much more competitive and thus can help reduce the crowd by at least a little bit. Street parking is still available along highland so this can still bring others in, but you catch my drift. The vibes here compared to El Porto are a lot more laid back, but beware the groms from Mira Costa high school on weekday dawn patrol!

The waves here are mostly mediocre, but are rideable most of the year which makes it a great place to get lots of reps in! Pro-tip, do not surf here at high tide, it just doesn’t work. Low to medium tide is ideal. My experience here has mostly been that the sandbars line up as lefts. As a regular footer, this has been really good for developing a strong backhand technique. It has got to the point where I prefer taking off left instead of right.

Surfing the Pier

If you are looking for a steeper drop and a faster wave to surf, the pier is usually a pretty safe bet. When the swells hit the pier just right you can get some really fun, fast, and hollow waves! But beware of the tourist crowd of shallow water swimmers in the summer months, and the pier fisherman. The wave breaks usually far out enough from the beach where the swimmers aren’t a hazard, but due to how populated the area can become on a nice summer day, you are sure to find someone making themselves into a hazard. If you haven’t been able to gather from my writing thus far, the crowds are the most hazardous part about surfing in Manhattan Beach. The surrounding areas of beach break are not staggeringly different from El Porto or Bruce’s Beach. If the lineup at the pier starts to get crowded feel free to stretch out and give yourself some room, rideable faces everywhere.

After Your Session

If you are looking for something to do after you are done surfing in Manhattan Beach, there are a ton of local bars and restaurants in the area worth checking out. Even if you don’t drink, some of these little dive bars can be so much fun and have some awesome food. 

OB’s

OB’s is a divebar located in El Porto. This small bar has so much soul and history. As soon as you walk in there are a ton of vintage pictures of both the bar and various spots around Manhattan Beach. Karaoke night is every Friday and always brings in some interesting characters! They have a pretty big menu so you can usually find a good selection of different types of food, but there is a lot of fried stuff. The breakfast here is great! When I am just looking for a small snack when I am hanging with friends I love to order the Jalapeño Bottle-Caps.

The Kettle

The Kettle is a nice diner that is located near the pier, and it is open 24 hours! Normally you would think a place being open 24 hours might mean slightly reduced quality, but that is not the case at all here. Everything on the menu here is absolutely top-notch quality, the staff is super friendly, and you can customize any order however you want if you choose to do so. The outside patio tables have an amazing view of the pier and are a great spot for people-watching I might add. It’s hard to recommend any particular dish served here because they are all amazing, but if I had to pick one I would recommend the smoked salmon benedict. But I am a fiend for smoked salmon, so perhaps a bit biased.

Fishbar

If you are looking for a nice dinner out in Manhattan Beach, Fishbar is a great place to go! Located not far from OB’s in the El Porto area, fishbar offers a decently sized menu with a variety of seafood options. If the weather is nice, the outdoor seating options are my favorite place to sit! Such a cool outdoor ambiance. The crab cakes are my go-to appetizer here, they always hit the spot! I also highly recommend the lobster roll sandwich. Even, if you don’t like seafood for whatever reason, there are some alternative options on the menu that are incredible. 

Honorable Mentions

• Panchos – Mexican Restaurant
• North End Cafe 
• Shellback Tavern – Dive bar
• Ercoles – Dive bar
• El Sombrero – Mexican Restaurant
• Mangiamos – Italian Restaurant 

Conclusion

Surfing in Manhattan Beach can be a blast, even though the waves are not super high quality. The downtown area is one of my favorite places in Los Angeles period. I prefer it over most of the other highly tourist-driven areas like Santa Monica and Venice. Longboarders and Shortboarders are both welcome here, although the shortboarders tend to be a little bit more dominant in the lineup. You also don’t need to worry about angry locals in the lineup, everyone here is mostly pretty chill.