Longboard-friendly waves in Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach, California

Recommendations refresh every 30 minutes based on tide, wind, and crowd telemetry from Quiver.

Manhattan Beach delivers the kind of mellow walls that make nine-footers purr. These 2 breaks offer long shoulders, patient sections, and enough face to cross-step without rushing.

Next steps

Keep planning Manhattan Beach

Use this longboard friendly guide as the filter, then jump to live spots, tides, or the seasonal window.

Check live Manhattan Beach spotsSee the local breaks and current surf conditions.Open pageFind the best surf windowCompare today's call with the seasonal pattern.Open pageWatch the tide windowUse tide timing before you commit to a spot.Open page

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Featured Beaches(1)

El Porto (Manhattan)

Beginner friendly

El Porto (Manhattan Beach) functions as South Bay's northwest swell magnet rated 7/10 for consistency despite variable quality.

Today's longboard plan in Manhattan Beach

Best window

2:30 PM–3:30 PM

incoming tide, cross-shore winds, good swell angle

Top picks

1El Porto (Manhattan)
1.2 ft11 mph
Long, peeling waves perfect for noseridingMellow takeoff zones with forgiving shouldersClassic surf spots with old-school vibesBest tide windows for logging sessions

Longboard-friendly breaks in Manhattan Beach

Break types, wave character, and ideal conditions for mellow log sessions.

El Porto (Manhattan)
beach
beginner-intermediate
4.3(6)

**El Porto** (Manhattan Beach) functions as South Bay's northwest swell magnet rated 7/10 for consistency despite variable quality.

Manhattan Beach Pier
beach
intermediate

The sandbars north and south of Manhattan Beach Pier provide consistent beach-break peaks with both lefts and rights. Summer southwest swells and offshore east winds create the best conditions. The waves can be fun for intermediates but rips are common and the lineup is often crowded.

Wave character

Watch the sets to see where the sandbars are breaking; position for peaks that offer open faces. Paddle wide to avoid rip currents.

Best conditions

Mid tide, light east wind, 3–6 ft SW swell.

Log in 15 seconds(optional)
Wave Quality7/10
Crowd4/10
Overall8/10

Logging once helps tune Manhattan Beach picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

About surfing in Manhattan Beach

Great longboard spots in Manhattan Beach include El Porto (Manhattan). Look for peeling point breaks and gentle beach breaks with long shoulders.
Ideal longboard waves have gentle shoulders, a mellow takeoff, and long walls to trim. The best spots feature point breaks or sandbars that create peeling waves.

Make the next surf call sharper

Check the forecast, surf the session, log what happened, and help Quiver keep tuning your local calls.

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