Manhattan Beach

On the more southerly slide of LA exists Manhattan Beach, which includes the often photographed El Porto. When summertime souths or west swells roll through, El Porto and Manhattan do its thing and is usually the go-to for photogs looking to showcase LA firing on all cylinders without getting knocked senseless by a steamed local. Summertime and weekend crowds can become out of control and a crowded weekend lineup often scares the locals away, but you still will find that LA aggression. Hey, fine by me—take it out here rather than at Trestles, please.

Souths and Northwests bring your typical walls to the place, but as with any beachie, a nice crossed-up swell with a medium tide are the ingredients to some yummy barrels and peaks. Parking is kind of a nightmare here, so it pays to get here early. Feed the meter at the lot, take a moment to breathe in the interesting characters toting softtops out of their Tesla’s, double check the ground for shattered beer bottle glass and follow the path down to the sand that leads you to the beachie promise land. Try to maintain a level of patience out there—there’s a lot of beginners in the summertime.

Peaks: Streets, El Porto

What the locals say:

“Be sure to get to the parking lot early and watch the show. There are so many characters in that lot, someone should write a story on that parking lot alone.”