Surf spot

Manhattan Beach Pier

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

Country: USA, California, LA County
Coordinates: 33.8832, -118.4143

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	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.3	0.8	1	1.1	1	1	1	0.9	1	1.1	1.2	1.1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.5
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	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	SSW	W	W	W	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	W
Wave period (s)	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8	7.7	11.1	4.3	4.8	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.8	6	5.8	5.8	5.9	5.9	5.9	5.9	6	6	6	6	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.9	6	6	6	5.8	5.6	5.7	5.4	5.5	5.9	5.6	10.3	10.1	9.9	9.8	12.3	12.1	12	11.8	11.4	11.3	4	7.7	7.3	11.8	11.8	11.7	11.4	5.5
Wave energy (kJ)	20	24	21	20	18	27	17	24	46	60	60	55	63	63	65	80	97	90	72	64	57	52	48	42	40	40	38	38	40	38	35	28	21	20	16	15	12	9	31	32	31	31	49	52	51	49	46	45	9	27	22	29	28	28	23	17
Wind speed (km/h)	8.9	11.2	10.2	12	14	17.9	11.8	8.2	5.4	4.7	5.4	10.7	15.5	16.8	10.2	8.6	9.2	9.7	10.7	10.9	15.5	11.2	6.5	9.6	13.5	12.3	11.1	13.7	14.8	13.3	8.7	6.2	8.2	7.8	7.8	10.1	15.3	16.8	10	7.4	5.1	3.6	3.3	10.9	16.7	18.5	13.2	9.4	5.6	3.3	6.4	11.4	17.3	17.6	14.1	6.8
Wind direction	SSECross-on	SECross	SECross	SCross-on	SWOnshore	WSWCross-on	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWGlassy	SSECross-on	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	SSECross-on	SECross	SECross	SECross	SSECross-on	SCross-on	SSWOnshore	SCross-on	SECross-on	SECross	SECross	SECross	SSECross-on	SSWOnshore	SWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SECross	SECross-on	SECross-on	SCross-on	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	SWGlassy	SWGlassy	WSWOnshore	WSWCross-on	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	SWGlassy	WSWCross-on	WSWOnshore	WSWCross-on	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	SSWOnshore

Manhattan Beach Pier is a classic South Bay surf spot in Los Angeles County, California, right in the heart of Manhattan Beach. The break sits around the iconic pier and is a very accessible urban beach break with a strong local surf culture.

What it’s like

Type of break: Mostly a beach break with shifting sandbars.
Wave character: Can be fun and playful when the sand lines up, with quicker, softer waves more common than heavy, hollow surf.
Best for: Beginners to intermediate surfers, longboarders, and anyone looking for an easy-access session close to town.
Crowd factor: Usually crowded, especially on weekends and during good south or northwest swells.
Atmosphere: Classic SoCal beach scene — lots of foot traffic, volleyball, swimmers, and surfers all sharing the shoreline.

Conditions and swell

Works best with clean offshore or light wind conditions.
Can pick up south swells in summer and northwest swells in winter, though quality depends heavily on the sandbar setup.
Because it’s a beach break, the waves can be inconsistent and change a lot after storms or strong surf.

Hazards / things to know

Crowded lineup and lots of beachgoers.
Sandbars shift frequently, so the best peak can move around.
Strong currents and occasional closeouts on bigger days.
Be mindful of the pier pilings, swimmers, and surf etiquette.

Overall

Manhattan Beach Pier is a fun, convenient, and highly accessible surf spot rather than a heavy “destination” wave. When the sandbars align, it can offer quality shoulder-high surf and longboard-friendly walls, but it’s generally known more for consistent access and a lively beach vibe than for world-class performance.