When our guys returned from WWII — wary from the frontlines of Europe, hardened by fighting in the Pacific theater, and thirsty for the comforts of home — those native to Long Beach, CA, encountered a drastic makeover on their hometown shores, which had previously been dubbed “The Waikiki of the West Coast.” Instead of rolling waves perfect for the blossoming Beach Blanket Bingo and Gidget-fueled surfing craze, the ocean was flat. The Long Beach breakwater had been built, and with it, the waves had vanished.

But all that may change. The waves of Long Beach, existing today only through archived photos and tall-tale legend, could return after a nearly 75-year absence. The East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Study is a three-year project approved by Mayor Robert Garcia in 2016 for $3 million and led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Its aim is to discover the environmental benefits of sinking all or part of the Long Beach breakwater and restoring the area to some semblance of its natural state. “I can’t thank the Army Corps enough for working with us to start this important and groundbreaking study,” Mayor Garcia said in a statement. “Improving the coastal experience and ecosystem in our city is a win for residents and visitors, and will be a boost to the Long Beach economy.”

Originally, advocates like the Long Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation hoped to “Sink the Breakwater,” or demolish the entire 2.5-mile-long structure. But what is beginning to look more feasible is a portion of the breakwater being removed. The four options for a partial removal were recently detailed by the Orange County Register. “Alternative Two” seems to be the best option for both environmental and surfing concerns, by removing a 4,500-foot section could and allowing a significant amount of swell to pour into the bay, increasing the flow of clean water.

Before his passing in 2017, Robert Palmer — a Long Beach local and longtime member of Surfrider — was one of the staunchest advocates for tearing down the Long Beach breakwater, which would bring about a return of the waves and also foster an environmental change to the area. “The L.A. River unloads into Long Beach,” Palmer told Surfline before his passing. “And with it comes the polluted water from 40 cities that lie upstream. It comes here and stays stagnant. If you come here on a beautiful summer day, people will be playing volleyball and lying on the sand, but nobody will be in the water.”

Palmer described a sludge-like buildup lining the ocean floor and the exterior of the breakwater — decades of pollution and ocean discharge accumulating into a mass gathering of grime. And by removing all or part of the breakwater, water flow would increase natural dispersion, in addition to surfable waves. In a 2009 article by the late Surfline founder, Sean Collins, the hypothetical removal of the Long Beach breakwater was calculated, with Sean zeroing in on what it would mean for the waves. “Seal Beach is immediately adjacent to Long Beach and experiences much of the same bathymetry and offshore island shadowing variables that would affect Long Beach,” Sean wrote. “As a result, Seal Beach is a great comparison of what the waves would be like should the breakwater be removed… The largest waves in the Long Beach area will be generated by swells from the west, much the same as Seal Beach.”

Thanks to the strong 2015/16 El Niño season, the often-fickle shores of Seal Beach transformed into a tube factory. And the prospect of another topnotch beachbreak (during the right swell, of course) in Southern California is an attractive possibility for any local surfer. Which is why Long Beach-based surfers like the late Palmer, who moved to the area from Illinois with surfing dreams after watching Bruce Brown’s The Endless Summer, have been pushing so strongly. “This is why the Long Beach chapter of the Surfrider Foundation formed,” Palmer finished. “And there are forces of evil at work that are trying to stop us. So unless we get waves, everything we’ve worked for will be unsuccessful.”