South Los Angeles, California, United States

Redondo Breakwater

33.850, -118.400

Edited by Tom Jackson

Verified May 2026

Editor-verifiedCross-checked against Surfline

At a glance

Redondo Breakwater is a left over mixed, fast walled big-wave left off breakwall jetty.
Intermediate to advanced ability, working 6-20 ft.
Peak November to March, water 13-20°C.

Left · MixedIntermediate → Advanced6–20 ftJan – Dec

Redondo Breakwater is one of the few genuine big-wave venues in the Los Angeles metro, a fast, walled left that refracts and amplifies off the front of King Harbor's breakwall. N and W swells larger than 6ft bend around the jetty and spin out long, punishing lefts that terminate in a sucker-punch shorebreak. WSW to WNW groundswell at 13 seconds or longer is the target, with E or SE winds keeping it clean. Low tide is the call. The wave suits intermediates at manageable size, but the crowd thins noticeably once sets push triple-overhead and above, where only committed surfers belong. Bottom: jetty and sand. Season: November through March. Consistency: solid when winter NW swell trains hit Southern California. Note that a 1997 Army Corps of Engineers project shifted rocks outward on the wall bend, and ongoing sand loss has moved the peak closer to shore, weakening the wedge compared to its peak years.

Wave fit

Skill suited

Intermediate → Advanced

BegIntAdv

Best months

Jan – Dec

Character

Fast walled big-wave left off breakwall jetty.

Conditions

When it works

Hazards

Water entry from the break-wall. Don't mistime it.

Trip planning

Quick facts

Water temp

13° to 20°C

Wetsuit

3/2 to 4/3

What to bring

Shortboard 6ft to 6ft 4in for head-high to double overhead
Gun 7ft 6in to 8ft 6in for triple overhead and above
Avoid longboards given the fast close-out shorebreak

Lineup

Some pressure on swells

Where it sits

Location

Loading map...

About this break

What it's actually like

Crowd Access Nearby Alternatives

Crowd & Localism

Expect a moderate crowd on any working swell. Locals are intolerant on smaller days but the lineup self-selects once size exceeds triple-overhead. Dawn patrol helps. Respect the regulars who have surfed this wall for years.

Access & Facilities

Park in the King Harbor lot or access through the harbor. Water entry is off the breakwall itself. Timing the entry wrong is a real hazard, rocks are present and the shorebreak is unpredictable. Water quality is among the worst in the South Bay: a storm drain sits directly in front of the spot. Avoid surfing here within 72 hours of significant rainfall.

Nearby Alternatives

When Redondo Breakwater is too small or blown out, El Porto to the north picks up more swell and offers multiple beach peaks across skill levels. Torrance Beach and Rat Beach can provide shorter, punchier options on the same swell window when the breakwater isn't wedging properly.

10-day swell, wind and tide