Overview
Palos Verdes Cove's premier break is Middles, a long, slow-breaking wave that peels both left and right over a boulder reef. The whole cove sits inside a Marine Preserve, where kelp beds keep the surface glassy and you'll often share the water with dolphins and other sealife, with good bird-watching on the side. Middles carries a slice of surf history too, as Doc Ball shot many of his classic Paddleboard Cove photos here back in the 1930s.
When It Works
The Cove draws swell from southwest to northwest (SW-NW), though it really comes alive on west swell, with a touch of north in the mix helping too. It's usable from 0.6 m / 2 ft to 4.6 m / 15 ft. Down on the south end of the cove, Boneyards is a shallow, rocky left that gets hollow and works from mid-tide up. When the surf is big, keep an eye out for clean-up sets and rip currents.
Wind and Tide
Look for southeast (SE) offshore wind. The reef works through most of the tide, with a rising tide generally the better call. Middles tends to close out at low tide, which is when its lefts get better.
Local Tips
Those long, slow walls make Middles a longboarder's favorite.
Access
Reach the cove down a broad dirt path at Flat Rock Point. There's free parking, including along the roadside.
