Surf spot

Pipes & Turbos

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

Country: USA, California, LA County
Coordinates: 33.7826, -118.4230

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)	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.8	1	1.2	1.2	0.9	1	1.1	1.2	1.4	1.5	1.4	1.2	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.6	0.8
Wave direction	W	W	W	W	W	SSW	SSW	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	SSW	SSW	S	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	SSW	SSW	W
Wave period (s)	4.8	4.9	5	4.8	4.8	7.7	7.3	4.4	4.8	5.2	5.3	5.5	5.9	6	5.8	5.8	6	6	6.1	6	6.2	6	6	6.1	6.1	6.2	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.2	6	5.8	5.8	5.7	6.1	5.8	9.2	8.9	9.7	9.4	12.6	12.3	12.2	11.9	11.7	11.4	11.1	10.3	7.4	7.3	8	8.6	7.1	4.2
Wave energy (kJ)	27	32	26	27	23	39	40	26	50	71	76	54	75	82	91	142	174	139	104	79	82	70	64	60	66	77	77	71	62	54	46	40	32	28	25	21	20	19	45	43	43	41	73	70	68	65	63	60	57	54	30	27	29	26	36	24
Wind speed (km/h)	7.6	13.3	13.5	13.7	9.3	15.9	12.1	5	7.5	4.1	8.1	11.4	10	15.9	8.4	10.7	14.4	16.6	19	19.6	18.6	12.9	10.7	15.5	16	13.3	12.5	12	11.5	10.7	6.4	6.2	6.6	5.2	4	8.2	11.5	15.3	10.2	7	7.9	7.3	6.5	8.2	16.9	21.3	17.7	13.3	9.8	7.6	5.9	8.8	18.8	17.5	13.5	7.1
Wind direction	SEOffshore	ESEOffshore	SEOffshore	SSECross-off	SSWCross	WOnshore	WSWCross-on	SSWCross	SSECross-off	SEGlassy	ESEOffshore	SSECross-off	SWCross-on	WOnshore	SWCross-on	SSECross-off	SEOffshore	ESEOffshore	ESEOffshore	SEOffshore	SEOffshore	SSECross-off	SEOffshore	SEOffshore	SEOffshore	ESEOffshore	SEOffshore	SSECross-off	SSWCross	SWCross-on	SSWCross	SCross-off	SSECross-off	SSECross-off	SGlassy	SSWCross	WSWCross-on	WOnshore	WCross-on	WSWCross-on	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WSWCross-on	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WCross-on	WOnshore	WOnshore	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on

Pipes & Turbos is a well-known surf zone in Los Angeles County, California, best thought of as a powerful beachbreak with shifting peaks rather than a single precise point. It’s part of the broader South Bay/LA surf scene and is named for the way the waves can tube up (pipes) and sometimes throw in faster, hollower sections (turbos) when conditions line up.

What it’s like

Wave type: Beachbreak
Break quality: Can get fast, hollow, and punchy
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers, especially when the swell is strong
Vibe: Localized, classic Southern California beachbreak energy

Conditions

Works best with a solid W to SW swell
Low to mid tide can help create the more hollow, barreling sections
Light offshore or clean conditions improve shape a lot
Can become bumpy and unruly when winds are onshore or swell is too large

Hazards

Powerful closeouts on bigger days
Shifting sandbars make it inconsistent
Strong currents and crowd pressure can be factors
Like many LA beachbreaks, it may require careful timing around tide and swell

Overall

Pipes & Turbos is the kind of spot that can go from average to excellent very quickly depending on sand and swell. When it’s on, it offers fast, hollow waves with real punch, but it’s not a guaranteed beginner-friendly lineup.