Tuesday, July 21st, 2020

Choppy PM session down at El Porto

Location: El Porto, Manhattan Beach, CA ( in front of Chevron refinery)

Time: Late Afternoon / Early Evening ( roughly 4:45pm — 6:15pm)

Conditions: Choppy 1–3' windswell, light onshore winds, high tide

Equipment: 8' Almond R-Series Joy

Company: None

My morning surf plan turned out to be a bust so I cruised down to El Porto around 4:15pm after tending to some house-related matters. Pulled into the crowded beach parking lot and (finally) snagged a spot. It was a bit messier than I would have liked but it was definitely rideable, at least. I walked a bit north and paddled out in front of the refinery rock wall where there were only a few other surfers scattered far apart. Over the next hour-and-a-half or so, I managed to catch several bumpy waves that had a rideable angle. Nothing spectacular, but not too bad. Apart from some diving pelicans and other seabirds, I didn’t see any marine life in the water.