[Jigsaw John]

Not quite right on the ocean. There is a distance of about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile, depending on which runway is used. The north runway is closer to the waterline than the south, which I would guess is close to 3/4 of a mile. Dockweiler state beach sits right in front of LAX westbound departures.

You can bet, the even the sand and rocks at that beach have ears and eyes.

[MineralMan]

Well, that's not much distance for an airliner to gain much altitude. I've flown out of LAX many dozens of times. You're always pretty close to the water shortly after takeoff.

I've always thought that was a risky thing, given the ease with which a SAM launched from a boat could be used. Very worrisome, this report.