RAT Beach

RAT Beach breaks over a rock and sand bottom for roughly 100 meters, with waves that pack considerably more power than they initially appear. The break works best on incoming low tide, arriving primarily from northwest and west groundswells, particularly during winter. Wave heights typically range from waist-high to overhead, occasionally exceeding overhead on larger winter swells. The reef suits confident intermediate to advanced shortboarders seeking powerful waves, though longboarders find the outside channel and inside waves more forgiving and less walled-up than the power-prone main break.

RAT Beach became a known break through the legendary Haggerty's crew in the 1960s, with Mickey Munoz and friends deliberately keeping it secret using the codename "Zeros" to protect the spot. The name itself came from Rick Irons, a key crew member who regularly surfed the break and allegedly brought his pet rat to the beach, earning the "surf rat" association that eventually stuck as the beach's name. This lineage gives RAT Beach its place in Southern California's foundational reef-break history rather than as a more recent discovery.

Access requires planning since no designated RAT Beach parking exists. The most practical approach is the Malaga Cove Trail, a quarter-mile descent from free parking at the Via Arroyo and Paseo del Mar corner on the Palos Verdes side, which leads down the bluffs to the beach. Alternatively, surfers can walk along the sand from Torrance Beach to the north. The spot sits between Torrance and Redondo Beach in unincorporated Los Angeles County and lacks lifeguard coverage. Kelp commonly accumulates in the cove, particularly after storms.