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Dockweiler Beach
Rating Details »
Categories: Swimming Pools, Beaches [Edit]
12001 Vista del MarPlaya Del Rey, CA 90293
(310) 322-4951
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
62 reviews for Dockweiler Beach
Dockweiler is very very kool!!! I love the fact that this is the only beach for bon fires around the area and the damn airplanes flying over ur head do get annoying but atleast its a fun, great time with loved ones as well as friends just partying it up in SOCAL!
TFR.
Me Caveman Edgar.
Me like Dockweiler Beach.
Me like fire pits where me and tribe of Yelpers cook hotdogs and marshmallow smores with wire hangers.
Me like how girls get almost naked in their bikinis and lie around in sun. And tackle each other and laugh.
Me almost dropped hot dog in fire pit because of tackling and laughing and bikini girls.
Me no like other cavemen who no know how to park big stupid cars that suck up fuel made from Edgar's dead friends Ook Ook the sabre tooth tiger and Grrr the T-Rex. Other cavemen retarded. Me want to bash them in head with Brontosaurus leg bone.
Me miss Grrr and Ook Ook. But me like girls who tackle.
Three stars.
This place has been such a coin flip. I love it, I hate it. I love it some more. I hate it.. Was that a freakin' plane flying by? Ooooh, look at the pretty fire!
It's such chaotic place. I don't know what to think of it.
First off, you really have to come here during the off peak season. Due to the summer being filled with crowds and the like that you really don't want to mess with. It really got ghetto'ed up. I suppose once you get a taste of burning trash cans outside of staple center, you're going to want to get that itch scratched.
What you have here is people camping out on a fire pit for the entire day even if they haven't gotten any fire wood to burn or even are using it at the moment. They're just saving it for their friends to show up around 7pm.. a whole 8 hours of absolutely nothing going on but them sleeping next to a fire pit.
That should be outlawed. Seriously. Also, what ever happened to sharing a fire pit? I remember the days when you could come in with fire wood and the already drunk people would welcome new folks to share their fire pit with whomever. Just as long as you bring something to the table. Have it be fire wood, marshmallows for toasting, some beer er.... um.. soda. or something like that. You'd talk and meet new people who you more than likely will never see again.. but you got to meet someone new. hear a new tale.
Those days are long gone. No one wants to share anything these days. Really frustrating to want to grill some meat on the pits and not be able to because someone is holding up one for their friends who will show up later that night.
Parking is also pretty meh-ish. I mean, the cost to get in seems a bit much. Especially if you can't get the pit, it's a lost cause. Parking on the street seems to be the way to go if you're willing to walk down the side of the hill off the road. But it'll at least save you the money and heartache of not getting a pit and having to go somewhere else to burn things.
I give this a 3 because really, it's a nice place. A really nice place. Even with the loud planes flying over head and the smell of the strange factory a mile or two down.
It's one of the only places in Los Angeles that you can burn stuff on the beach. Something that should be legal in more places as it does create a summer night view to kill for as you drive up PCH.
Just be warned that you're going to be smelling of smoke by the end of the night.
Best advice is that if you're going to have a bon fire, just get there way early in the day... or at least send one person in your group and let them camp out for the day. Tell them to wear some heavy SPF.
I have never been here during the day, but only at night time. what's great about this place is that parking 's free. You have to just park up on the street area. But if you want a closer spot, then you have to pay the fee.
Any way, this is like the only beach in LA that has bon fire pits. I came here a few times during college with friends. Always a good time to sit by the fire. Other than that, that's all that this beach offers. If you want a bon fire in LA, come here. If you want something nicer with a little town or something with shops, go to Venice, Santa Monica, or the OC.
i like this bechh. it is one of the only beaches close by who have fire pits. The sand is cleaan. Personally, the loud airplane overhead doesnt bother me much. the water is typical la water but word of caution there is a water sewage treatment plan alittle too close to the beach. :O it gets really crowded during the weekends, fire pits are nealy impossible but its relatively calm during the weekends.
not the best but its alright,,
Super ghetto, cops EVERYWHERE keeping watch and pulling cars over (even saw one cop searching someone's trunk, then right after about half a mile away, two cops with a group of guys lined up facing the wall with their hands behind their backs...), airplanes flying from LAX overhead every 10 minutes.
'Nuff said. Oh wait, and the best part was seeing an '06 Camaro painted red and yellow - totally something Ronald McDonald would drive.
P.S. I just noticed -- how does a beach have a telephone number?
Came here on the Saturday of memorial weekend with some friends and some food! It was great except maybe the airplanes flying over our heads maybe every 2 minutes causing us to get our conversation cut short! But later in the day it became less frequent which made it more enjoyable!
My friends came out here around 7:40am to grab a pit, and by the time they got there, only three pits were left! (thanks guys!) We had a nice big area to put all our stuff. Typical beach.
It was pretty crowded but not as crowded as I would imagined it would have been being memorial weekend, but then again, maybe that's the sunday or the monday that'll be crowded.
Before coming, we contacted the beach and they said no loud music and no bbq grills. We noticed a lot of people around us brought their home entertainment system! No joke! Police kept driving around and said nothing! Also, a lot of people brought their own bbq grills too! And again! police driving around and didn't say anything either!
We managed to bring alcohol but of course just kept it in the cooler.
Parking was $7. Some people parked on the streets and walked down.
It's a cool beach, just like any other beach. The sky was a bit smoggy but hey, it's LA right by LAX too.
I'm split about this beach... I love the fact that they have the fire pits here and can have a very nice bonfire. I think this is the only one in LA County...
The thing that sucks about this place is the proximately to LAX. Because the beach is right next to LAX, your conversions will be interrupted by the thundering roar of an airplane taking off.
Sure this may be a small price to pay for a fire ring, but the thing really that errks me is you can't fly kites on this beach. I guess it's an FAA regulation since it's so close to the airport... Beach with out kites is a beach without fun!
Oh the other thing that suck is that this beach gets really crowded. So you have to get here pretty early to save yourself a fire ring. Just make sure you're comfortable saying NO to people that wanna "share" your fire pit!
as the only LA public beach that allows bonfires, the ambiance at dockweiler varies greatly by season. last night was the first time i went in the busy summer season, and it was a ghetto clusterf*ck. huge crowds of sketchy people everywhere and a police presence so overwhelming it felt like a prison yard.
the sand was full of debris and charcoal, so by the time i got home my feet looked like frodo's. the bathrooms were overwhelmed by the crowds and absolutely disgusting, with no toilet paper or paper towels and a layer of mystery sludge on the floor. actually, the sludge isn't a mystery...it's just disgusting.
i've been to dockweiler during the off-season for bonfires and it was so much nicer, although chilly at night. very few people, much cleaner sand and bathrooms, and you can actually enjoy the peacefulness of the ocean without feeling like you may get shivved in the bathroom.
for a much nicer summertime beach bonfire experience, i highly recommend making bajillions and buying a house with private beach access in malibu, or do the LA thing and ho yourself out to somebody that already has.
Hey all, new to this.
First off, I am a current lifeguard at Dockweiler, and have been working the summers here for a while.
I am going to make this as useful as possible, and try to explain why we have some rules that may seem stupid.
This beach is considered to be an "inner city" beach. It has an easy access (I-105) with a huge parking lot ($7) or free parking on Vista Del Mar. You will notice that the lifeguard towers are closer to each other, this is due to the large amount of crowds that we get during the summer weekends.
You will see a lot of police presence. As of 2003, there has been an increase of police presence due to gang activity. The lifeguards had a scuffle with them in 2003, there have been fights, weapon brandishing, threats, stabbings and gun shots, the last two recently happened within two weeks of this posting. Lifeguard patrols (night-fire shifts) use to go until 11pm, but we cut back on this, thereby handing over the responsibilities to LAPD. Keep your guard up! People are right, the police presence should make you paranoid. It is for your own good, or else there would really have anarchy.
Water activity ends at 8pm/sunset. The beach, parking lots and street parking all close at 10pm. If you park on the street (Vista Del Mar), watch your car, as LAPD starts ticketing after 10pm. Note: Holidays like the 4th of July and Labor Day, Vista Del Mar is closed for parking, so expect to pay $7. They towed everyone who was not paying attention with more than 6 tow trucks the last 4th of July.
The fire pits are at a first-come, first-serve basis. If you come on a Saturday or Sunday, then expect to be here in the morning, no later than 8am, or else you will not have a fire pit. If you want to come only for the night, I recommend Friday nights. The pits are not all taken up until around 2pm-5pm. The more mellow fire pits are AWAY from the bathrooms (towers 54 and 53), closer to towers 52 and 55. Charcoal grills are allowed, but must be lit in or near the fire pit, this way you can dump the coals into the pit when you are done. Note: Cabrillo beach is the only other LA County beach with fire pits, but they only have 2.
Charcoal grills are not allowed AWAY from the cement pits. Portable fire pits are not permitted at all. Since we are technically part of the Fire Department, we will extinguish illegal fire pits. If we see that you have already started your grill, then we will pretty much tell you to throw the coals into a pit, or soak them in water until they are out. You never want to bury them in the sand, as they can stay hot for hours and may burn someone the next day. If you want to grill near the beach, bring a GAS grill.
I avoid the public restroom near tower 54 like the plague. If you really need to go, and want cleaner restroom, use the ones between towers 49 and 50.
Other rules:
Kites are not allowed, as they pop up on the radar from time to time.
Dogs are not allowed on the beach side of the bike path.
Tents are not allowed. Sometimes you can get away with opening all windows and doors at all times.
Inflatables such as tubes are not allowed, as they lift you off of your feet and make you susceptible to being taken by rip currents.
Canopies (EZ Ups) are allowed east of the lifeguard tower line to prevent obstructed water views of lifeguards.
Alcohol is not allowed, but if it is out of sight and you are acting in a responsible manner, we over look it. Stay cool, and don't swim drunk. Pick one.
The orange lifeguard flags are a swim area, not a hazard warning (unless they are crossed like an X).
No horses allowed or sand driving allowed.
Geography...
There is a sewage treatment plant (candy cane smoke stacks) just south (tower 58) but the sewage goes out a couple of miles. Believe it or not, Dockweiler, along with Hermosa Pier, is one of LA's cleanest beaches. Just stay away from tower 40/Ballona creek and you will be good. That green stuff is actually algae and is perfectly normal. The algae bloom happens with warm conditions and lots of sun.
LAX is directly above, but it never bothered me. Just watch out for falling KLM engines.
Chevron and the oil tankers are south of the sewage treatment plant.
Marina del Rey is north, you will see a huge American flag off the breakwater.
Dockweiler is not know for its surf, but on good days, you will see people surfing the sewage pipe north of tower 58, south of tower 49 jetty, and north of tower 45 jetty. Lessons take place for a price at tower 49. I think it is called "learn to surf LA".
If surfing is not your thing, try hang gliding near tower 59.
Dockweiler consists of the cities of El Segundo and LA's Playa del Rey.
Don't forget to feed your nearest ocean lifeguard!!! Anything hot will do.
Because the Inner City need to go to the beach too.
For the past 3 years my friend Liz and I have thrown an annual Bonfire/ Burning of the past (we burn our bills and FYI, parking tickets don't burn).
Dockweilere is one of 2 beaches in L.A. County which have fire rings so we choose this one over Cabrillo way out in San Pedro.
They have a bike path, a few ice cream trucks, a food truck (which you lave to climb up a loooooong hill walk way to), and parking is $7.
A few things you should know if you are planning to visit Dockweiler are:
1. If you plan to throw a bonfire you must get there by like 8am. Everyone and they momma too is there from 8am to get one of the 20 pits available. So if you think you can sleep in and arrive by 2pm, sike yo mind!
2. B.Y.O. TP (toilet paper). Please remember these are public beach restrooms full of sand and wet sand at that. By 1pm all the nasty children have used up the toilet paper and seat covers which means if you don't B.Y.O.TP you will be shaking.
3. Don't look up! The restrooms double as a pigeon coupe in the evenings and if you are scared of birds or bird shit (like me) then don't look up!
4. This is truly an Inner City beach meaning you will see lots of high school kids, Keisha's sweet 16th birthday, frat boys, soccer games, old folks in RV's, daddies (old black men) on "hogs" in leather clothes, lots of kids, some sort of indie group and much more.
And 5. Don't forget your matches/ lighter fluid. For some reason everyone always forgets there lighter fluid and matches to start the fire that needs to burn there wood. So, you end up walking to the other end of the beach to light a twig off the one group who did remember they stuff only to run back to your pit and try to get the fire started before the twig burns out. Yes I have done this like twice.
All and all I still like this place and I will be back next year for another Bonfire/Burning of the bills hosted by Sherida and Liz
Imbibed at the beach yesterday, a weekday, for a friends birthday and liked this beach juuussst fine. Because it was a weekday it was uncrowded and no one bothered us. At one point we had to hide the tequila because the beach popo was driving towards us but because you're at the beach you can see em coming from a mile away.
Didn't make use of my book, ipod, or journal, the company I was with provided plenty of entertainment. None of the cracked out beach-goers paid us much heed or bothered us unless you include the couple that were trying to be sly about the fact that they were fucking about 10 yards away from us. The girls I was with were grossed out by it, I slightly amused.
We had a bonfire once night fell and then we were approached by the beach police around a quarter til 10pm and he told us, very kindly I might add, that we could stay until midnight but we'd have to park our cars elsewhere because the parking lot closed at 10. Moving all of our collective cars seemed like a hassle so instead we opted to bail. Tuckered from the sun I drifted off to sleep about an hour later, uncharacteristically early for me, with a dreamy smile and a sandy buttcrack.
So I thought that these yelp reviews were crazy and written by stuffy white people who had never been to a beach in LA that had people of color, but they are not. From my first hand experience last weekend everything they say is true
1. Arrive at 7am or 8am b/c otherwise all the firepits will be taken. People arrive early and guard pits, put their items in the pits to claim them, or even hire day laborers to come early and set up their area. And they dont like to share b/c they felt like they took extra effort to claim the pits. But sometimes you will find a nice friend or two.
2. Dockweiler is ghetto. I went there for my fun engagment beach bbq party and next thing I know I'm hitting the sand due to people throwing gang signs, a gun shooting, and cops swarming the place. Soon after the closed the beach. I spoke with them and they say every weekend they are called to this beach for some reason or another and they end up closing it early.
3. People dont play with the BBQ. If you think you can come with a little blanket and a little bit of fire wood you will be blown out of the water. Most people come in large groups with multiple tables, multiple sun tents, huge tree stumps & logs, huge grills, tikki stuff and so much more.
If you are in the mood for a little trashy ghetto fun then have a blast then bring a drank and a blanket ...but otherwise I would go down to the southbay
Ah yes, it is the ghetto peoples' beach! Dockweiler gets four stars because of memories alone.
Memories of digging in the sand and discovering crabs, building sand castles, and watching lobster divers bring up their poor captures.
But that was the 90s.
Now that I have grown the only thing I have to say is don't go near the water.
the men of dockweiler beach need to quit making obscene gestures that include their tongues when i ride by on my bike. it makes me want to vomit, and we should be keeping our beaches clean.
unfortunately, i live along dockweiler so there's no escaping it. i don't ride my bike in a bikini because i want to be verbally assaulted. i do it because it's 90 degrees and i want to get a tan. please leave me alone.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/24/2008
i moved to playa del rey nearly a year ago, after 5 years in san diego and a brief stint in orange… Read more »
With summer on the horizon, I can't help but think about the best places to have a beach party with bonfire and compete with friends over who makes the best s'mores. I like this beach on a hot summer day but the limited numbers of fire pits tend to get taken over quickly while parking is costly and difficult to find. Although people tend to complain about the air and noise quality from the frequencies of airplane flyovers, but the greater concern is the ocean water as the fuel burning factories that sit on the other side of the beach are too close for comfort. However, as one of the few beaches that allows for bonfires, I remember bringing over 100 high schoolers to Dockweiler to hold college workshops where we later played freesbies, beach volleyball and other team sports and games. On an another occasion, I brought my UCLA summer class here to see the sunset and that eventually led students to hangout and study together outside of class.
Dockweiler is the home of beautiful sunsets and the crowd is always diverse, festive, and not touristy. As an advice for bonfire enthusiasts on any weekdays, one would need to arrive by or before 2pm to increase the chances of securing a pit. For large groups, although the pits are still not a guarantee by default, I would still contact the Department of Beaches and Harbors to reserve a space of your preference. Without any ambitious plans in mind, I hope to return this summer to make some s'mores and kick it with my friends.
I feel like kind of an idiot writing this, but L.A. County's beaches pale in comparison to Orange County's beaches. Now, I grew up in L.A. County and in general like things L.A. much more than things Orange County, but I also spent every Wednesday during my childhood summers at Huntington Beach, so I got spoiled.
Yes, Dockweiler is also west-facing. Yes, there are (or at least there were) bonfire rings at Dockweiler. Yes, it's less crowded than many other beaches. But it's really not that fun--in any sense of the word.
If you still don't believe me, you should know that there's a sewage-treatment plant a few hundred yards down from the beach. I'm just sayin'.
We went here for the first time today. There were lots of families, the sand was fairly clean, there were food and restrooms nearby, but the building is currently under construction. The views of barges and smokestacks are not so great, but it's a nice beach - especially when it would've taken us an hour to get to Zuma today.
LA's crappiest beach, IMO.
Here you will know how Lawrence of Arabia felt in the vastness of the desert (not appealing to me). Some people like the fire pits at night. Not me.
I lived on Venice Beach for 2 years, half a block from the sand, on Santa Monica Beach for 2 years & Redondo Beach for more than 3 years. I've cycled every foot of the beach bike path multiple times & probably have walked most of the sand between Palos Verdes & Malibu.
I figure that's what qualifies me to write this review, haha.
I see Yelp events consistently held at Dockweiler, and I wonder......why?
It's desolate. There's nothing around there you can walk to, so you gotta haul in all your food & supplies. Then you hope to choose a day when you're not downwind from the Smellsegundo water treatment facility, 'cause it's powerful. Your views at Dockweiler are of smoke stacks and industrial buildings. Then you got the noise and the air pollution from planes taking off over your head. LAX is right there, just over the hill. Not very peaceful.
Alternatives to Dockweiler:
Starting at the southernmost tip of LA, San Pedro: It's rocky coastline where you have to descend down steep paths from the bluffs, all the way through Palos Verdes. Good for surfing apparently, but of no interest to me other than for views.
Torrance Beach: Yes, Torrance connects with the ocean at the far south end of Redondo Beach. It's my secret cove, where I watch kitesurfers. You have to walk in, so it's uncrowded & lovely. Mostly just locals know about it.
Redondo Beach: Meh. Don't bother. It's for views, not so much for playing on the sand.
Hermosa Beach: All about volleyball. Lots of cool eateries & bars & shops, spitting distance from the sand. I love it in the morning. Surf near the pier.
Oh and....I would not go in the water at any LA beach without a wetsuit, so my evaluations have nothing to do with water quality as far as bacterial or other contaminants. And we all know to stay away from storm drains after a rain, on every beach.
Manhattan Beach: LA's best, IMO. The stretch of sand north of the MB Pier is pristine. There are volleyball nets here & also near the pier. It's just south of Dockweiler, so given a choice, why not go here? There's surfing near MB Pier. And you've got Manhattan Village right there - tons of shops, restaurants, bars. Parking can be a bitch if you don't arrive early in the day on a weekend, and yeah....by comparison, you got free street parking along Vista del Mar by Dockweiler.....but for good reason. Who wants to go there when you can be here.
El Segundo Beach: Behind the power plant, it's rocky. Farther north, there's hang gliding. That's about it. Smelly sometimes, lousy views.
Playa del Rey: Not bad, far from the best. You still got the planes overhead from LAX.
Marina del Rey: Nice. But there are better choices, all things considered. Nothing to walk to for food, etc. However the jetty along the channel is a gorgeous place to walk, cherished by locals.
Venice Beach: Surf at the rocky south end, but otherwise forget it as beaches go.
As you get to the beach near the Venice Boardwalk, it gets better. But never go out on this beach after dark, except for the drum circle.
Santa Monica Beach: The second best LA beach, IMO, is the wide stretch of sand at the Venice/SaMo border, in front of Sea Colony. There are beach parking lots galore, reasonably priced. And SaMo's Main St. is a block away, with cafes & shops & all you need in life. On Sunday morning, the Farmer's Market at Ocean Park & Main is not to be missed - it's a party with music & great food.
The beaches near SaMo Pier, farther north, are not so clean and always too crowded. Veto.
The SaMo Canyon area beaches are OK, but, there again, do not offer much in the way of restaurants you can walk to. Unless you want to climb the bluff & that's a hassle.
Topanga & Will Rogers State Beaches: Nice for kitesurfing & such. Nice to visit in the evening, to contemplate & clear the head.
Malibu: I love the 'Bu but the beaches are not my fave. They are narrow & parking is difficult, as is beach access in most places. Surfrider Beach is a good spot to see celebs, but it's close to the Malibu Lagoon that tends to be icky. Think runoff.
Zuma Beach: I'm not experienced here. I don't see a reason to travel so far when I got Manhattan & SaMo closeby. So I consulted with a friend who swims at Zuma (Aubrey from Studio DNA). He likes Zuma because the water is cleaner farther north. He especially likes El Matador State Beach, says it's a bit of a trek down the stairs but the seclusion is worth the effort.
So there you have it, as I see it. I can't imagine not living at the beach.
I watch the beachcombing vehicles every morning, carefully tending the treasured sands. Although I love every part of LA, I think the beaches are its crowning glory.
The Good: This beach is good because it is kind of one of those in the middle of nowhere places. Which is a good thing. Santa Monica beach is in the middle of Santa Monica the same with Manhattan Beach, which translates into traffic, bad parking and tons of people. Parking is good and I guess $7 for it is not the worst for beach steps away from the beach. This beach is great because I think it's also one of only a few LA beaches that have bonfire pits.
The Bad: Not enough stuff and by stuff I mean like Venice beach..they just have so much going on all day and you'll never run out of stuff to do there. Where are all the bars anyways? We all know good beaches have good bars next to them.
The Ben: Great place for AYEs. Jill/Sam did a great job again. I would encourage any yelper to join in the fun. If anything to watch Sam spend hours setting up a volleyball net :p
This beach is fine during the week, and it has fire pits which is a plus, but avoid this place on the weekends! We live in Playa and it is gang central on this beach from Friday night until Sunday. Last night we drove past there were at least 30 cop cars (no lie, we counted) there arresting numerous people.....which is pretty normal.
My wife and I call this the Gauntlet whenever we ride our bikes through here, and like the previous reviewer any girl in a bikini will be verbally abused. It is about a half mile of dodging thugs loitering on the path all of which have there pants halfway down there butt with there hands down their pants! I am a pretty tolerant person, but this beach annoys the crap out of me. Unfortunately we have to bike through this mess on our way to the much better beaches south of here. Yes, we have had fires here, but be prepared for scuffles all around and every fire pit trying to see how loud their music can be. The 3 pits around us last time we were there were blaring reggae, gangster rap and R&B....it was annoying hearing all 3 at once.
If you want to a relaxing beach just go a little north or south, no fire pits but at least you can chill and enjoy yourself.
Maybe with some luck they will eliminate the parking on Vista del Mar (it's free but attracts the wrong crowd), this would also solve the overcrowding here....a curfew should also be enforced.
I know some people love this beach but IMO there are better places until this place gets cleaned up....and I don't mean the water :)
If you want a beautiful, picture postcard beach, this ain't it. In fact, if you want that scenery, there really isn't a SoCal beach that fits that description- El Matador is nice, some areas of South Laguna are pretty but there are no palm tree filled, clean white beaches in SoCal.
Dockweiler is a city person's beach. It's accessible- there is tons of free parking, the beach is large and wide and they allow campfires. There is also a fantastic bike path stretching for miles down to Manhattan Beach- and it is never packed ala Venice boardwalk. If you ride @ Venice, you have to dodge people like some sort of Wii game but @ Dockweiler; these people have the sense to get out of the way of a speeding 2 wheel vehicle.
During my ride today: I passed a Motorhome camp site, I passed an area loaded with the remnants of July 4th debauchery, I passed a lot filled with low riders from a Compton car club- all the while with a smile on my face and the appreciation of a city girl.
It has almost been a year since we Yelpers have been here for a beach UYE. This is where I met some of the cool Yelpers. I've came here a long time ago when I was a kid with a church group. Not sure what the deal was but the church group definitely did not want to stay here after dark even though there are BBQ pits here for bon fires.
A tent was pitched, boogie boards in tow, lots of food brought down, drinks galore, everyone in some sort of summer attire. It was a great day for a BBQ, hanging out and what not. This is the result of much leg work done by those who were still finding the hosts of this UYE.
Ok, so having numbers of a few people wasn't too bad but just not of the person who organized it. We're over by the volleyball nets. Oh really? I'm standing in front of a few and I really don't see anyone but the few Yelpers I'm standing here with. We're further down by the lifeguard station. Oh, that really helps, what number station? I could have stuck my foot up someone's ass if I wasn't with better company.
I helped BBQ all the food that was brought for the most part. Ok, maybe not all of it but most of it. We really started a fire for the BBQ grill someone brought. The day was cool, saw a few bikinis, ate a little but some were here to be lazy and some pitched in. Just glad I had a company summer party to go to so I said bye to everyone and took off. Mojitos and Cuban cigars, here I come. Yes, Cubans, I didn't ask where they were acquired but was happy to have a few put away. We'll see if there is another beach thing, just not here, ok.
My sister I love dearly recently celebrated her birthday at Dockweiler. Overall it was a pleasant experience. The crowd was friendly and everyone seem to mind their own business. Thumbs up to cleanliness. Thumbs down to parking and airplanes from and to LAX hovering very low. That was a bit nerve wracking especially when atmosphere should be serene and peaceful.
I am from the Philippines where the islands are beautiful and sand is white so I agree with fellow yelper Brother B- Dockweiler is a city person's beach.
Dockweiler Beach will forever have a special place in my heart...and liver. For some reason every time I go to beach I feel compelled to swim in the water, it must be the Hawaiian in me. Because of the LA river emptying into ocean less than a half mile from Dockweiler there is a high contamination of both fecal matter and Hepatitis B in the water, so that is what I will claim for now if anyone ever asks, "ya...(looking sideways) I got it at Dockweiler", j/k.
I went to this beach for July 4th, it was one of the most enjoyable summer days I can remember. Everyone was BBQing and we had a group of Asians about 10 strong, I think we were the only Asians there that day, we were camped next to a group of Mexicans who so generously shared their camarones y asada, there were countless minorities there, it was as if you took all of south LA and turned it upside down and shook everything out. I loved it, I feel a lot more comfortable about other minorities then if we had gone to Malibu.
Other then the poo poo water, my only complaint would be the lifeguard who told us to put out the BBQ, when he said that I just told my buddy to throw all the coals on the fire. He never came back and we BBQed till sun down.
Smells funny, and not "sometimes the ocean smells like a sewer" funny, just plain old funny.
Is right under LAX flight path so just as you're about to drift off to sleep on the warm sand, the 607 to Honolulu is gonna head RIGHT OVER YOU.
At least you can burn stuff on the beach?
So yes, if you enjoy burning stuff this is the beach for you.
If I had to rate my day with fellow yelpers it would be five stars but the beach itself was a different story.
Although our meeting spot was a bit out of the way, cheers for Judy for picking the RV side of the beach. Imperial highway ends and dives right into a beach parking lot which gives you two options. One side for the beach, the other for RV's. Well, here's the trick; (whisper) don't go into that lot at all. Make a left turn and park in the next parking lot and walk over to RV beach. Here's why. If you turn right and end up on the beach side where they send the general public be prepared to enter Attica.
Police presence is everywhere. It doesn't make you feel as safe as it does paranoid. Police cruise the sand, the air, the parking lot, your beach bag. WTF? I wouldn't stay here after dark, there must be something wrong. Much much mellower on the RV side.
The other thing is the scenery. Large industrial structures loom in every direction. Huge Simpsonesque nuclear looking smoke stacks tower in the distance, lending a dark apocalyptic feeling to the place.
Do not enter the water. The large power plant exhumes toxic run off into the sea. From what I heard, the surf was a neon green. Get a bottle and take some home for science experiments or for your kids show and tell but don't bring the boogie board.
Do bring good friends, spiked punch, a small tent, (tent very important), a grill, something to put on grill, a beach umbrella that will withstand winds of 15mph without shooting straight up out of the sand, and you will still manage to have a fine time. Without these props, go somewhere else.
BONFIRE!!! yaaayyyyy.... don't forget to NOT street park after 10, they'll tow you right away!!!!!!! this beach is truly my favorite, only beach i can really relax on. beach patrol rarely comes by, planes fly overhead and are quite entertaining.
Alright, so it's not the prettiest beach in Southern California. You've got LAX and jumbo jets to deal with, and if you look south you get a great view of the Hyperion Water Treatment Plant.
But...they've got fire pits!! They're one of only two beaches around where you can have a kickin' bonfire on the beach. Parking is pretty cheap too, for the beach.
You can also park on the street but beware...they are serious about no parking after 10pm. The tow truck and parking enforcement are waiting!!
I've never had a bad time here, even if you occasionally have to stop your conversation for the airplanes. If it's the summer, someone is going to have to get here early to claim a pit. A lot of people make a day of it and get here around noon.
I am so with Cee on this one...the beach is vast and there is the path on which to roller blade (so much more fun to head down to Venice though...skip this section of the beach!)...but the walk tot he water is so damn LONG. Burns your footsies I tell ya.
I would absolutely NOT swim in any of the water...yucky pollution near any of the peers. If you want to sun bathe and couldn't give to craps about dipping...ok, head on down. But if you actually like to swim and don't want to encounter any three-eyed fish akin to the Simpson's...don't go here. Actually...don't go in the water pretty much between Zuma and Laguna Beach. Not worth it.
I love this beach. A friend and I started at the end by Culver City and walked all the way down to El Segundo and did the stairs at the end. Coming from a woman that does no sort of exercise that was a hard walk back to the car, but I had to do it or else I was camping out in the cold. I wanted to cry cuz my legs were giving out. Going tomorrow to take the kids for a picnic. Woohoo.
Great place for a long walk even during the cooler months of Feb and March. Just bring water, Ipod (or talkative friend), maybe a lil snack, some good shoes and a sweater.
I first came here during my troublesome teenage years. My dad showed me this beach after one particularly troublesome time, he didn't say much, just drove us past the shoreline and back home again.
When I started losing my religion the following year, I would ditch church and drive out here alone on Sundays to contemplate my navel. Didn't learn much but I did glow a healthy tan.
The summer of my brief stint as a resident dorm puff monkey, I'd come out here to get high and stare at the sand. One memorable afternoon the waves spit me out but kept my glasses. The drive home was exciting.
I brought a friend or few out here over the years, we'd sit on my jacket and watch the giant planes roar above. I wished just once we'd see a giant sea dragon rising out of the water, but I never did.
It's been some time since I've been back, I guess I should.
I've grown up near a beach community but I've never been to Dockweiler Beach. Whispers in my community gave Dockweiler a negative reputation and kept me far away. But my friends decided to have a bonfire here, and I finally experienced Dockweiler for myself for the first time.
What I like about this beach is the fact that it's accessible. There are loads of free parking on the street (or I think $8 to park in the parking lot) and tons of firepits, so you wouldn't have to fight for either. We rolled up around 7:30 and surprisingly still found a firepit. We roasted smores, listened to music, blah blah blah. Overall a great bonfiring experience. The beach, however, does close at 10:00 p.m. when the cops starting giving out parking tickets for those parked in the lot or on the street. I guess the city needs to regulate the beach somehow, so giving out parking tickets to encourage beach-goers to go home is a sure way of ruining any party and making everyone go home. It wasn't all too bad since the cops rolled up at 9:45 to warn people about leaving before ten. How considerate.
As for the actual beach itself, I didn't experience going into the water. So I can't say if the water was clean or warm or (whatever else people care about).
Good food, good yelpers, love and a beautiful day at the beach equals 5 stars. Finding the location of the Yelping event and having fellow Yelpers help you carry all the goods after making donuts around 3 parking lots +5 stars. Carrying all the crap after beating the Great Wall and Forbidden square, -7 stars...... ;-P
Great place for a social gathering and firepits are readily available. 5-oh will casually cruise by but stayed away from us with Judy and Diana's burping and yelling.... Beach is clean and on a peaceful sunset, its a good spot for surf fishing for corbinas and perch. Few surfers alongside here and overall, its a great beach to host a Yelping Event. Tent is manditory for the love signals that are created here.
;-)
"This is nice. Listenin'ta Marley, sittin' round the fire, drunk outta my mind, makin' s'mores while watching the sunse-- SWEET BACCHUS, WHAT THE HOLY SHIT IS THAT?!q?" It was the sound of a thousand hells roaring in my ears.
This beach is situated at the end of the LAX runway so you're likely to see, hear, and FEEL about a couple dozen jets take off into the blue after flying five feet over your head.
The pit fires are nice, but unless you get there early (as you should on any beach excursion), you'll probably have to share with someone nice enough to let you sit alongside them (it's a nice way to meet people).
Not the cleanest beach, but definitely cleaner than SM. Not really romantic, either, unless you're hearing impaired.
I have some great memories here! I've had fun and drinks w/ some friends here; even though alcohol isnt allowed. I dont drink, but the last time i was here, i was having margaritas and shots, but the others were just having mixed drinks w/ patron, henessy, coronas, and etc. Very fun at night. With the fires lit up, its a very wonderful time to be w/ your friends burning marshmallows and all sorts of things. Its safe too, because the patrol is always around making sure that nothing goes wrong. Good times... Good times....
Fire pits, volleyball nets, restrooms = +1
Parking $7.00 and lots are (really, really) far from each other, special parking for RV's only = -2
Police/Life Guards on duty (didn't run beach like a prison) = +1
People are chill, trash cans located everywhere, beach was clean = +1
It's a nice beach, the day we went, it was beautiful and breeze was nicely blowing through the beach. Planes are taking off from nearby LAX, so, if it doesn't bother you, it isn't a big annoyance. I had a lot of fun and met more fellow Yelpers.
Dockweiler. With surf breaks named "Chevron Reef" and "Shitpipe" that don't break and are pummeled by a blitzkrieg of jet-decibel frequencies, you might think this beach sucks. You're half right -- which also means you're half wrong.
See, this is the only beach with fire pits unless you make it all the way down to Huntington. The sand is nearly always empty and the bike path is the best place to bike or run -- it's like a gateway drug between PDR and Manhattan: when you use it, it leads you to heavier drugs, like coke (the Westside) or Meth (the South Bay).
Or something like that.
With an over-abundance of parking spaces for you car and for your ass, you won't waste time circling the lot or the shore -- like Zuma without the tractor-loads of people crowding your mojo. If you want to go to the beach and throw the frisbee around, splash around in the water before the bar-b-que, or just do a J in peace, go here.
You think the jet noise is bad? -- try "getting used to" the foolios who trample your face, invade your personal space, blast their boom boxes, and let their unattended accident prone troglodyte offspring tumble all up in your peaceful easy feeling -- at other LA beaches -- and tell me that's better. Just think of the planes as flying bears that can't hurt you as long as they're allowed to jump over you, really, really high.
When the weather is chillier in the winter, there are even less people, and you could have miles all to yourself as long as you've got a hoodie on. Hell, you goths might like it best then! Summertime fills up, and on summer holiday weekends the place fills up like Dodger Stadium on "So Cheap It's Almost Free" night. On those days beware the Citizens of Raider-Nation to pitch tents and bring grills -- it can get downright crazy out there.
DON'T go to this beach to surf. DON'T go to this beach to troll for the opposite sex. And DON'T go if you love troglodyte offspring.
DO go to run, bike, bonfire at night, light up some tiki torches, roast some marshmallows, and enjoy that last wide open beach that still feels OPEN.
Having a summer beach party with the pits fired up is a lot of fun. You can set up a volleyball net nearby bring some dogs and buns and beer (in plastic cups of course) and have a great time.
At night the planes flying over is kind of cool too.
I live in West LA. As much as I don't want it to be true, I was told that this was the nearest beach with fire pits. Now at first glance its not so bad. I arrived late and there seemed to still be many pits open on a weekday. In the darkness there appeared to be many pits in general, much more than your typical beach. Parking was standard, if not a little cheaper than the usual beach private lot, $5 even.
If there is anything that really ruins a night with a circle of friends around a fire its the LAX flight path. Imagine trying to bond with everyone, talking, singing, and really getting to know- BUACHHHHHSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH. Exactly.
