Hoppy’s Reef

Hoppy’s Reef was an artificial reef created off the coast of Hermosa Beach, CA in April of 1971. Many believe it was the first attempt to create surfable waves by modifying the ocean floor (Cables reef is the other contender). Unfortunately, Hoppy’s Reef failed to produce waves before it sunk into the sand on the ocean floor.

The reef was named after Hoppy Swartz, the father of organized surfing, who let the effort to create the reef. Leroy Grannis, Hoppy’s best friend, documented their work. Phil and Merlin Olsen, brother on the LA Rams football team, assisted with sand pumping.

The team installed the reef roughly two blocks north of the Redondo Beach breakwater and about 100 yards off the shoreline. The structure consisted of nylon bags roughly 8 feet long and 4 feet in diameter filled with sand. Hoppy and his crew loaded the empty bags onto a boat and used a pump on the boat to pump sand off the bottom of the ocean into the bags.

To hear Leroy Grannis, Hoppy’s best friend, speak about Hoppy’s Reef, start the video below at 16:10.