Surf spot

El Porto

Forecast conditions and map view for El Porto in USA, California, LA County. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, LA County
Coordinates: 33.9041, -118.4249

Metric
Metric	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00
Wave height (m)	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.9	0.9	1.2	1.3	1.2	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.8
Wave direction	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	SSW	SSW	W	SSW	S	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	SSW	W	W	W	W	W	SSW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W
Wave period (s)	4.5	4.8	5	5	5.3	6	5.8	5.9	6	6	6	6	6	6	5.9	6	5.9	5.8	5.9	6	6.1	6.1	6	6	5.8	5.5	5.4	5.3	6.8	10.8	10.8	5.8	10.4	10.9	12	11.9	11.8	11.8	11.8	10.4	4	4.2	5.6	5.6	5.5	10.2	4.5	4.1	4.3	4.5	4.5	4.6	4.8	4.9	4.6	4.6
Wave energy (kJ)	21	29	35	36	40	53	59	100	129	105	79	70	65	57	49	44	42	46	45	43	43	39	37	31	23	21	20	17	25	59	58	21	58	65	78	77	76	76	75	59	12	14	21	20	17	48	13	17	24	26	21	18	19	17	17	24
Wind speed (km/h)	6.6	4	5.2	9.5	16.2	17	10.3	8.1	8.9	11.7	14.5	13.6	19	12.3	8.3	12.5	12.1	15.2	13.3	14.4	16.3	13.5	8.1	5.9	6.4	10	6.1	10.9	15	17	13.1	9.3	6.9	5.1	6.2	9.4	17.7	18.5	13.2	8.1	5.8	5.2	3.7	8.1	17.5	18.9	14.9	8	4.4	6.9	5.4	10.7	16.5	15.8	11.4	8.4
Wind direction	SCross-on	SSEGlassy	SSECross-on	SSWCross-on	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	SSECross	SECross	SECross-off	SECross-off	SECross	SSECross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SECross	SECross-off	ESECross-off	SECross	SSECross	SSWCross-on	SWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SCross-on	SSECross	SECross	SSECross	SCross-on	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWGlassy	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SGlassy	SECross-off	SECross	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	SWOnshore

El Porto is a classic North Los Angeles County beachbreak in Manhattan Beach, California—often referred to simply as one of the most consistent surf spots in the LA area.

Quick description

Type: Beachbreak
Break: Peaks along a sandy bottom, with multiple takeoff zones
Wave quality: Can be fun and punchy, but often inconsistent and a bit sectiony compared with more famous point breaks
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers, though beginners can surf smaller days closer to the inside
Crowd: Usually crowded, especially on good swells
Access: Easy beach access from Manhattan Beach’s north end

What it’s like

El Porto is known for producing short, fast, energetic waves when the sandbars line up. It tends to work best with south or northwest swells and can handle a range of tide conditions depending on the sand. On a good day, it can offer hollow sections and quick walls; on smaller or messier days, it’s more of a bumpy, closeout-prone beachbreak.

Conditions and character

Wind: Offshore or light morning conditions are best; onshore afternoon wind can hurt quality
Tide: Sandbar-dependent, so the ideal tide changes often
Hazards: Strong currents, crowded lineup, closeouts, and occasional localism
Vibe: Energetic South Bay surf scene, with lots of surfers, bodyboarders, and beachgoers

Why it’s popular

El Porto is favored because it’s reliable, easy to access, and can get good quickly after a swell. It’s one of the go-to spots for LA surfers when they want waves without driving far.