Ghost Fingers · Los Angeles County · South Bay LA

Bruce's Beach

West-facing beachbreak in Manhattan Beach, between 26th and 27th Streets. Sand bottom. Softer wave shape than El Porto to the north.

South Bay LA Beginner-friendly NDBC buoy 46222CDIP MOP L0560NOAA tide 9410840

Spot intel

Parking

Metered street parking on Highland Avenue and the numbered streets. No dedicated lot. Spots open up faster than at El Porto.

Crowd

Moderate. Surf-school clusters set up here on calmer days; experienced surfers tend to walk north to El Porto when it's working.

Beginner-friendly?

Yes.

Sand bottom, forgiving wave shape on small to mid days, and an established surf-school presence. The catches are summer crowds and the south-end rip current, not the wave.

Lineup etiquette

Beachbreak priority is per-wave. A wave already taken from the peak isn't open to paddle into.

When it's on

West-southwest through west-northwest swell with light offshore from the east.

When beginners can paddle out

Knee-high to shoulder-high on a mid-tide with light morning wind. First light runs cleanest before the South Bay sea breeze comes up.

Where it breaks

Coordinates
33.8860, -118.4120
Shore faces
W
Region
South Bay LA, California

Launching summer 2026.

Six-tier verdicts for every California break, calibrated to swell, period, direction, tide, and wind. One email when Bruce's Beach ships in the app.

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