Stab Magazine | How To Actually Get Waves In Los Angeles

Live Now... How Surfers Get Paid: The High Price Of Authenticity — Craig Anderson's Knee Doesn't Bend

71 Views

How To Actually Get Waves In Los Angeles

What to look for and where to search with LA’s Noah Collins.

style // May 9, 2018
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Traffic jams that turn single-digit drives into triple; Wavestorms, SUPs and the occasional kayak cleaning clocks at Malibu, Topanga, and the Venice Breakwater; two primary beach breaks, El Porto and Zuma, nothing more than consistent closeouts’; always allowing an extra ten minutes for parking: surfing in Los Angeles is a chore.

Many resign themselves to the treks north to Ventura or south to Orange County—the waves are better and, all things considered, the drive is often only slightly longer. But, if you choose to hop counties, depending on what time of day it is, that journey can take from 45 minutes to two and a half hours. 

However, there are a few local surfers who, whenever the waves are good, seem to always be in the right spot, without straying too far from home, and 21-year-old Manhattan Beach native, Noah Collins, is one.

We tapped Noah for a guide to how to actually find waves in LA. (Although, we still think you’re better off just getting out of town.)

Don’t follow the crowd.
“Most people pull into the lot at El Porto and park at the first peak they see people surfing,” Noah tells Stab. “Keep driving. There’s usually a sandbar down the beach that is just as fun. When the tide starts to come up, a lot of the beach breaks in the South Bay have a double-up rip bowl on the inside. So while everyone sits on the outside, you can find a less crowded double-up.

The majority of people that surf in LA just moved here and went out and bought a surfboard. They surf El Porto three times then become super entitled to their “Home Break,” and get all aggressive because they think that’s how surfers are supposed to act.

I guess you could be aggressive back but it’s best to just paddle down the beach and find your own sandbar.”

https://player.vimeo.com/video/169597453

It’s okay to burn people… sometimes.
“Sometimes people are just paddling from the wrong spot for a wave, or someone has just burnt you or your friend, or they are just being super eggy and paddle out and around you to the top of the peak. All those reasons are good enough to ignore them like they’re not even there.”

Follow the runoff.
“If it’s raining, wait for the tide to come up and find a storm drain. The most blown out storm drain will make the best sandbar. Basically, when you find the ugliest, brownest, dirtiest water next to a storm drain, you’ll find the best waves. If it’s pumping NW swell, raining and offshore, the South Bay can get really good. On its day, you can get very barreled.”

Avoid Palos Verdes and San Pedro.
“I’d recommend avoiding surfing in PV or San Pedro. Also, I’d avoid Lunada Bay [which is in PV]. I don’t even try to go down there. Unless you want to get hassled and your car fucked with, don’t surf in San Pedro.

My buddy, who’s super mellow and respectful, went out there by himself and got heckled, sent to the beach and they screwed with his car—and all over the most average beach break. It’s just not an area you want to be, you can get into some interesting situations there.”

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Attrition at Pipe: Six Specialists Eliminated After Grueling Day At Lexus Pipe Pro

Moana Jones-Wong, Erin Brooks, Vahine Fierro + other big names axed.

Feb 6, 2025

Big Idea, Small Budget, And A High Level Of Danger?

Who’s Stab gonna call: Miles Pitt.

Feb 5, 2025

The Story Behind Sammy Pupo’s Backdoor-Inflicted Shiner

“Everything went blurry and for 15 minutes, I was stumbling around, barely able to walk…

Feb 5, 2025

Once A Pipe Master, Always A Pipe Master

Robbie Page stars in Oxbow's 'Walkabout'.

Feb 4, 2025

Born or Built? The Psychology of Confronting Heavy Waves

Nurture in nature with Shane Dorian, Carissa Moore, Al Cleland, and CJ Hobgood.

Feb 3, 2025

SEOTY: Albee Layer Stars In ‘Pure’, Rants A Little, And Reveals His Post-Surfing Career Path

Plus, the one that got away.

Feb 2, 2025

Jah Bless: More Rasta Freesurfing Clips

Point break porn ft. two Dead Kooks ‘Yin Yangs’.

Feb 2, 2025

The 2024 Eddie Winner On Addiction, Jail Time, And His Long Road To Glory

The Stab interview with Landon McNamara.

Jan 31, 2025

Watch: Postcards From Motel Hell Pt 3 – The Ireland Section

Wade gets stuck in another cave, Craig breaks his hoof, Haz and Lowe get minced…

Jan 31, 2025

Stab Highway East Coast (USA) Presented By Monster Energy, Episode 2

Strip club weddings, phallic haircuts, Gorkin flips, and cavorting with sharks.

Jan 31, 2025

The First Score Of The 2025 Championship Tour Was A Tube… By Edgard Groggia

Not as good as it gets, but much better than we deserve.

Jan 30, 2025

“The Machine Makes The World Spin. Rage, Fear, Oppose – We’re All A Part Of It.”

Lucas 'Skywalka' Godfrey stars in 'Fear The Machine'

Jan 29, 2025

It’s Time For A New Rivalry In Surfing

Can the next-gen of women deliver the conflict every sport needs?

Jan 28, 2025

Three Weeks On: The Aftermath of the LA Wildfires

An ode to a city that won't stay down.

Jan 28, 2025

How Surfers Get Paid: Season 2, Episode 6

The high price of authenticity — Craig Anderson’s knee doesn’t bend.

Jan 27, 2025

Dave Wassel’s Pipeline Secrets Every Surf Investor Should Know

How to make money on betonline.ag.

Jan 27, 2025

Should The 2025 World Title Have An Asterisk?

Your 2025 Lexus Pipe Pro preview.

Jan 25, 2025

You’ve Never Seen A Surf Movie Like This

First reef Pipeline meets Adult Swim meets Quentin Tarantino in Kalani Rivero's 'KRTV'

Jan 25, 2025
Advertisement