San Diego surf spots & forecasts

Del Mar is one of SurfNav’s more versatile San Diego spots: the baseline model does not strongly favor a longboard or midlength, and its modeled tide window is broader than several nearby breaks. Use the live analysis below to see how today’s swell, tide, wind, crowd pressure, and board fit combine for the hour you actually want to surf.

Check La Jolla Shores surfing conditions by hour, including the best modeled window, longboard vs midlength fit, wind, tide and crowd outlook.

Terramar is modeled by SurfNav as a relatively slow, longboard-friendly Carlsbad option, but its broad tide range should not be mistaken for tide indifference. Public spot guidance emphasizes that Terramar can change substantially with water level, while SurfNav’s live analysis adds swell alignment, period, wind, crowd pressure, and board fit for the hour being considered.

Tourmaline is SurfNav’s clearest glide-oriented profile among the initial San Diego SEO spots: a 2.0/7 baseline pace, 10/10 longboard fit, and only 6/10 midlength baseline. Public spot guides likewise describe Old Man’s at Tourmaline as gentle and longboard-focused, while the live SurfNav forecast determines whether the actual hour has enough clean energy to be worth surfing.

Cardiff is modeled by SurfNav as a slower, longboard-friendly Encinitas option with a 3.0/7 baseline pace, a 9/10 longboard fit, and a broad 0.5–5.5 ft preferred tide band. The live forecast above combines that baseline with the actual hour’s swell direction, period, wind, tide, crowd pressure, and board fit so a generally favorable spot profile does not automatically become a GO.

Swamis is modeled by SurfNav as a moderate-paced, board-neutral Encinitas option with high crowd pressure and a 235–300° preferred swell-direction band. The live analysis combines that baseline with the selected hour’s swell, period, wind, tide, physical power, and board fit so the spot’s reputation does not substitute for a conditions-specific decision.

Grandview is modeled by SurfNav as a moderate-paced, board-neutral Encinitas option. Its 8/10 longboard and 8/10 midlength baselines mean the hourly conditions matter more than a permanent board preference, while the live analysis combines swell direction, period, wind, tide, crowd pressure, and physical session feel.

Solana Beach is modeled by SurfNav as a moderate-paced, board-neutral San Diego option with a narrower 1.0–4.5 ft preferred tide band than several nearby pages. The live forecast combines that baseline with the selected hour’s swell direction, period, wind, tide, crowd pressure, and board fit.

Scripps is modeled by SurfNav as a moderate-paced, board-neutral La Jolla option with a relatively focused 1.5–4.0 ft preferred tide band and a 255–320° swell-direction preference. The live session analysis combines those spot inputs with hourly period, wind, crowd pressure, size, and physical board fit.

Blacks is SurfNav’s fastest and most midlength-biased profile among the initial SEO pages: a 5.2/7 baseline pace, 5/10 longboard fit, 9/10 midlength fit, and a relatively high 2.5 breaking-wave multiplier in the spot model. The live analysis determines whether the actual hour reinforces or softens that demanding baseline.

Pacific Beach is modeled by SurfNav as a moderate-paced, board-neutral San Diego beachbreak rather than a permanently longboard-first spot. The live forecast is the primary decision layer: it combines the selected hour’s swell alignment, period, wind, tide, modeled crowd pressure, and board fit to answer whether the session is worth going, when the better window occurs, and which board fits it best.

Mission Beach is modeled by SurfNav as a moderate-fast San Diego beachbreak with a stronger midlength bias and a higher-water preferred tide band than nearby Pacific Beach. The live forecast remains the primary answer: it combines the selected hour’s swell alignment, period, wind, tide, modeled crowd pressure, and board fit to decide whether the session is worth going, when the better window occurs, and which board fits it best.

Ocean Beach is modeled by SurfNav as a faster, strongly midlength-biased San Diego zone with a relatively narrow preferred tide band. The live forecast remains the primary answer because OB is not one uniform wave: the jetty, pier peaks, Avalanche area, and shifting sand or rock features can behave differently. SurfNav combines the selected hour’s swell alignment, period, wind, tide, modeled crowd pressure, and board fit to decide whether the session is worth going, when the better window occurs, and which board fits it best.

Windansea is modeled by SurfNav as a fast, strongly midlength-biased La Jolla option with a broad preferred tide band and a comparatively high response to incoming wave energy. The live forecast remains the primary answer: SurfNav combines the selected hour’s swell alignment, period, wind, tide, modeled crowd pressure, and board fit to decide whether the session is worth going, when the better window occurs, and which board fits it best.

Sunset Cliffs is modeled by SurfNav as a moderately fast, midlength-leaning reef zone with broad west-to-northwest swell exposure and a relatively wide preferred tide band. The live forecast stays above the evergreen guide because the best session depends on the actual hour: SurfNav combines swell direction and period, tide, wind, modeled crowd pressure, board fit, and resulting wave character before recommending whether to go, when the better window occurs, and which board fits it best.

Torrey Pines is modeled by SurfNav as a moderately fast, midlength-leaning beachbreak with a relatively high preferred tide band and west-to-northwest directional bias. The live forecast stays above the evergreen guide because the best session depends on the actual hour: SurfNav combines swell direction and period, tide, wind, modeled crowd pressure, board fit, and wave character before recommending whether to go, when to surf, and which board fits best.

Ponto is modeled by SurfNav as a moderately fast, midlength-leaning North County option with a 195–260° preferred swell-direction band and a 1.0–4.5 ft modeled tide range. The live forecast stays above the guide because the useful answer is hourly: SurfNav combines swell direction and period, tide, wind, modeled crowd pressure, board fit, and session character before deciding whether the window is worth surfing.

Tamarack is modeled by SurfNav as a moderately fast, midlength-leaning Carlsbad option with a 240–300° preferred swell-direction band and a relatively low 0.5–3.0 ft modeled tide range. The live forecast stays above the guide because the useful answer is hourly: SurfNav weighs swell direction and period, tide, wind, modeled crowd pressure, board fit, and session character before deciding which window is worth surfing.

Oceanside Pier is modeled by SurfNav as a moderately fast, midlength-leaning North County option with a broad 0.5–5.5 ft preferred tide band and a 220–290° preferred swell-direction range. The live forecast stays above the guide because the useful answer is hourly: SurfNav combines swell direction and period, tide, wind, modeled crowd pressure, board fit, and session character before deciding whether the selected window is worth surfing.

Oceanside Harbor stands apart from nearby Oceanside Pier in SurfNav’s model because its preferred tide window starts much higher, at 2.5 ft instead of 0.5 ft, while its 240–300° swell-direction band leans farther west-to-northwest. That combination makes higher-water timing a more important part of the Harbor decision. The live forecast remains the primary answer: SurfNav weighs the selected hour’s swell alignment, period, wind, tide, modeled crowd pressure, board fit, and session character before deciding whether the window is worth surfing.

San Onofre Old Mans is one of SurfNav’s clearest glide-oriented profiles: a 2.5/7 baseline pace, 10/10 longboard fit, and a 190–245° preferred swell-direction band. The guide is deliberately secondary to the live forecast, which combines the current swell partitions, period, wind, tide, modeled crowd pressure, board fit, and session character to decide whether the hour actually deserves a GO.

San Onofre Dogpatch is SurfNav’s slowest San Onofre profile in the current spot model: a 2.2/7 baseline pace, 10/10 longboard fit, and 185–245° preferred swell-direction band. The live forecast remains the primary answer because the actual GO, best time, board choice, and session feel still depend on the selected hour’s swell partitions, period, wind, tide, and modeled crowd pressure.

Seaside Reef is modeled by SurfNav as a quicker, midlength-leaning North County reef with a broad 195–285° swell-direction preference and a 1.0–4.5 ft modeled tide band. Public spot guidance describes a predominantly left-breaking reef with a steeper takeoff and a softer right. The live forecast stays above the guide because the useful answer is hourly: SurfNav combines swell, period, wind, tide, crowd pressure, board fit, and session character before ranking the window.