Hollywood Beach Extending south of Mandalay down to the Channel Islands Harbor, is a series of sandbars that thrive on both summer swells and Aleutian juice. Keep in mind that the beach here is partially shadowed by the outside breakwall protecting the Channel Islands Harbor. The benefit to this swell shadowing is the variance in surf size you experience as you head south behind the seawall. On days of immense conditions, while one area of the beach may be completely overpowered, the sheltered sandbars behind the harbor seawall will be serving up a cleaner and more refined sea state. Crossed up swells with the dominant energy pulsing out of the south, morph Hollywood Beach into an epic display of inviting A-frames and bowling peaks. Add stiff Santa Ana winds into the equation, and you've got steep drops and dredging pits to contend with. The Hueneme Deepwater Canyon that blesses Silver Strand with its epic conditions during the winter months, also whips a few northwest walls into shape for Hollywood Beach. Although the paddle out can be brutal during periods of high surf, the sandbars do hold size relative to most beachbreaks. Extreme tides adversely impact the surf quality here and can leave anxious wave riders frustrated with uncooperative sections. Medium tides are ideal and unless you've got a healthy combo swell in the water or holes in the sand, minus tides should usually be considered out of the question. Keep your eyes open for shifty peaks and learn to use the breakwall as an indicator for incoming sets.