Manhattan Beach Pier
Now
Thu Nov 5 · 12–3 PM forecast
3–4 ftwaist to chest
Best tomorrow · Fri 6
Compare bothNothing good left today.
Best tomorrow · Fri 6, 6 to 9:45 AM Pacific.
then the wind turns onshore
2–3 ft · thigh to waist
Light offshore wind is grooming the waves, and it’s a good size for a longboard.
Manhattan Beach Pier surf guide
A busy beach break beside Manhattan Beach's historic pier · 2 things to watch
Manhattan Beach Pier guide
A busy beach break beside Manhattan Beach's historic pier.
- Good for
- Beginners to intermediates, any board.
- The wave
- Sandbar peaks that close out when big.
- Watch for
- Strong rips, and fishing lines by the pier.
- Crowds, worst on weekends.
- Best when
- Best on a SW to WNW swell (225°–285°) with ENE offshore wind, at mid tide (about 1.5–4 ft).
MoreLess about Manhattan Beach Pier
Longboards at 1.5–3.5 ft, shortboards at 2.5–6 ft. Any tide works. Works year-round, on south swells in spring and summer and west swells in fall and winter.
Each summer the South Bay Boardriders Club runs a surf contest on the pier's south side for the International Surf Festival, one of the festival's original events from 1962.
In the late 1940s Dale Velzy made boards beneath this pier, and the shop he opened nearby is often named as the first of its kind.
West swells suit it best, though it can work on anything from south to northwest. Hermosa and Redondo sit farther inside the Palos Verdes shadow, so this pier picks up more of a south swell than they do.
- Local tip
- About 450 public spaces, metered and in pay lots, sit near the pier along Manhattan Beach Boulevard.
GOOD TIDE TODAY9:05–11:15 AM3:00–5:23 PM
Guide updated October 2026
Spot research: WannaSurf, Wikipedia, Surf-Forecast, Mondo Surf, Surfnerd, Deepswell, LA County Beaches and Harbors, International Surf Festival, South Bay Boardriders Club, Los Angeles Times and Surf Trips.
Send a spot correctionLive buoy Santa Monica Bay
- WAVES
- 4.0 ft
- PERIOD
- 7s
- FROM
- W 261°
- WATER
- 74°
Observed 1:30 PM · 54 min old
7-day surf
LB longboard · SB shortboard
Thu 12 PM · now
3–4 ft · waist to chest ·
8 mph onshore · tide 1.0 ft falling
Swell near the beach: 3.4 ft every 13 s from SW
| Time | Surf | Rating | Wind | Tide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 12 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Good, dark hours | 3 mph offshore | 0.6 ft and falling |
| Thu 3 AM | 4–5 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Good | 5 mph, gusts 9, offshore | 2.5 ft and rising |
| Thu 6 AM | 4–5 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Good | 5 mph, gusts 10, offshore | 5.4 ft and rising |
| Thu 9 AM | 4–5 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Good | 3 mph, gusts 6, offshore | 4.1 ft and falling |
| Thu 12 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair | 8 mph onshore | 1.0 ft and falling |
| Thu 3 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair | 9 mph, gusts 11, onshore | 1.5 ft and rising |
| Thu 6 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 9 mph, gusts 13, onshore | 4.2 ft and rising |
| Thu 9 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good, dark hours | 4 mph, gusts 8, cross | 3.5 ft and falling |
| Fri 12 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good, dark hours | 7 mph, gusts 9, offshore | 1.1 ft and falling |
| Fri 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 5 mph, gusts 7, offshore | 2.3 ft and rising |
| Fri 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 6 mph, gusts 7, offshore | 5.4 ft and rising |
| Fri 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 3 mph, gusts 5, offshore | 4.8 ft and falling |
| Fri 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair | 9 mph, gusts 12, onshore | 1.1 ft and falling |
| Fri 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair | 8 mph, gusts 10, onshore | 0.6 ft and rising |
| Fri 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 3 mph offshore | 3.4 ft and rising |
| Fri 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 4 mph, gusts 5, offshore | 3.9 ft and falling |
| Sat 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 6 mph, gusts 11, offshore | 1.7 ft and falling |
| Sat 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 6 mph, gusts 11, cross-offshore | 2.1 ft and rising |
| Sat 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair | 9 mph, gusts 10, onshore | 5.3 ft and rising |
| Sat 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 4 mph, gusts 5, offshore | 5.3 ft and falling |
| Sat 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Fair | 4 mph cross-onshore | 1.5 ft and falling |
| Sat 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair | 9 mph onshore | −0.1 ft and rising |
| Sat 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 8 mph onshore | 2.5 ft and rising |
| Sat 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 5 mph, gusts 6, offshore | 4.1 ft and falling |
| Sun 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 4 mph, gusts 6, offshore | 2.3 ft and falling |
| Sun 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 4 mph, gusts 6, offshore | 2.1 ft and rising |
| Sun 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 4 mph, gusts 7, offshore | 5.0 ft and rising |
| Sun 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 4 mph, gusts 7, offshore | 5.7 ft and falling |
| Sun 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 0 mph, gusts 2, glassy | 2.1 ft and falling |
| Sun 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair | 7 mph onshore | −0.4 ft and rising |
| Sun 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 7 mph onshore | 1.6 ft and rising |
| Sun 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 4 mph cross-onshore | 3.9 ft and rising |
| Mon 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good, dark hours | 3 mph, gusts 5, offshore | 2.8 ft and falling |
| Mon 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 4 mph, gusts 5, offshore | 2.2 ft and rising |
| Mon 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 3 mph, gusts 5, offshore | 4.7 ft and rising |
| Mon 9 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 3 mph, gusts 4, offshore | 5.9 ft and falling |
| Mon 12 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 2 mph, gusts 3, glassy | 2.8 ft and falling |
| Mon 3 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Fair | 6 mph onshore | −0.3 ft and falling |
| Mon 6 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 7 mph onshore | 0.8 ft and rising |
| Mon 9 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 3 mph onshore | 3.5 ft and rising |
| Tue 12 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good, dark hours | 1 mph, gusts 2, glassy | 3.1 ft and falling |
| Tue 3 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 1 mph, gusts 2, glassy | 2.3 ft and rising |
| Tue 6 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 1 mph, gusts 3, glassy | 4.4 ft and rising |
| Tue 9 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 2 mph glassy | 5.9 ft and falling |
| Tue 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 3 mph cross-onshore | 3.5 ft and falling |
| Tue 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair | 8 mph onshore | 0.1 ft and falling |
| Tue 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 7 mph onshore | 0.3 ft and rising |
| Tue 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 4 mph onshore | 2.9 ft and rising |
| Wed 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good, dark hours | 2 mph glassy | 3.3 ft and falling |
| Wed 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 1 mph, gusts 2, glassy | 2.5 ft and rising |
| Wed 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 2 mph, gusts 3, glassy | 4.0 ft and rising |
| Wed 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 1 mph, gusts 2, glassy | 5.7 ft and rising |
| Wed 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Fair | 5 mph onshore | 4.1 ft and falling |
| Wed 3 PM | Waves unavailable | Longboard Unavailable, shortboard Unavailable | 10 mph onshore | 0.7 ft and falling |
| Wed 6 PM | Waves unavailable | Longboard Unavailable, shortboard Unavailable, dark hours | 7 mph onshore | 0.1 ft and rising |
| Wed 9 PM | Waves unavailable | Longboard Unavailable, shortboard Unavailable, dark hours | 6 mph onshore | 2.2 ft and rising |
Today’s tide
GOOD 9:05–11:15 AM3:00–5:23 PM
El Segundo · feet above low water
Swell
Wave forecast checked against the live Santa Monica Bay buoy.
Updated 2:23 PM · CDIP/Scripps, Open-Meteo and NOAA.
Common questions
Is Manhattan Beach Pier good for beginners?
Yes when it’s small; bigger days suit surfers with some experience.
What tide is best at Manhattan Beach Pier?
Any tide works, but it’s best at mid tide (about 1.5–4 ft).
What swell works at Manhattan Beach Pier?
A SW to WNW swell (225°–285°) is best, with ENE offshore wind. It picks up swell from S to WNW (187°–292°). Works year-round, on south swells in spring and summer and west swells in fall and winter.
What board should I ride at Manhattan Beach Pier?
Either works: longboards at 1.5–3.5 ft, shortboards at 2.5–6 ft.
What should I watch out for at Manhattan Beach Pier?
Strong rips, and fishing lines by the pier; and crowds, worst on weekends.