Los Angeles County
El Porto surf report
2.6ft
Fun-sized — 2.6 ft.
Thursday, August 13 · local time at the spot
Right now
Swell
2.6 ft
17 s · SSW205°
Wind
This buoy carries no anemometer, so there is no wind reading here.
Water temperature
73°F
22.8 °C
Daylight
6:14 AM
sunrise · sunset 7:42 PM
Tide
Currently falling — next low at 4:44 AM (-1.014 ft)
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 4:44 AM | low | -1.014 ft |
| 11:05 AM | high | 4.752 ft |
| 4:29 PM | low | 1.21 ft |
| 10:35 PM | high | 6.227 ft |
Tide values are predictions. Wind, pressure and surge move the real water level, sometimes by a lot — see the disclaimer.
Forecast
Model output, not a measurement — NOAA WaveWatch III
| Day | Height | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed | 0.9 ft | 11.8 s | N 5° |
| Thu | 0.9 ft | 11.3 s | N 4° |
| Fri | 1.1 ft | 15.1 s | NNE 27° |
| Sat | 1.6 ft | 16.5 s | NNE 18° |
| Sun | 1.8 ft | 15.3 s | NNE 24° |
| Mon | 1.5 ft | 14.4 s | NNE 24° |
A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.
What to wear
At 73 °F (22.8 °C), most people at El Porto are comfortable in a rash guard or a 1 mm top.
1 mm top
for 72–75 °F
The top is as much about sun and rash as about warmth.
The temperature is measured. The suit recommendation is not — it follows the manufacturers' convention, which varies by a degree or two between brands, and it knows nothing about wind, session length or how you personally run. The full chart and what it leaves out.
Surf cam
No cam here yet. We operate no cameras of our own and embed only where the operator allows it — the rule is on the copyright page. Cam operators who would like a link are welcome to write.
The break
- Type
- Powerful beach break at the canyon head
- Best swell
- W to NW groundswell and wind swell
- Best wind
- Offshore E in the morning
- Tide
- Mid tide
- Level
- Intermediate to advanced
Hazards
- Heavy close-outs
- Strong rip currents
- Crowds and limited parking
Local knowledge, not a measurement. Conditions decide the day — check the National Weather Service for warnings and the lifeguards for whether to go in.
Every source behind this page
- Solunar computed · read 2:15 AM
- NOAA WaveWatch III 46221 model cycle 20260813 0z · model · read 2:15 AM
- NDBC 46221 buoy wave height · read 1:56 AM
- NOAA CO-OPS 9410777 tide predictions · read 2:15 AM
All of it is public NOAA and National Weather Service data, free for anyone to use. What we add is the pairing of this spot with these stations — see the terms.
Nearby spots
- Manhattan Beach 2.6 ft · 1 km
- Venice Beach 2.3 ft · 11 km
- Malibu (Surfrider) 2.3 ft · 29 km
- Jalama Beach 4.9 ft · 204 km
- Hanalei Bay 4.9 ft · 4205 km
Surf and beach conditions change faster than this page does, and nobody watches it in real time. When the water looks different from the numbers, trust the water and the lifeguards.