Beach report: San Diego County coast
NWS alert: Beach Hazards Statement. Beach Hazards Statement issued October 6 at 1:27am PDT until October 9 at 11:00pm PDT by NWS San Diego CA
NWS alert: Coastal Flood Advisory. Coastal Flood Advisory issued October 6 at 1:27am PDT until October 9 at 11:00am PDT by NWS San Diego CA
| Day | Rip current risk | Surf | Water | Swell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue Oct 6 | Moderate | 2 to 4 feet | 68 to 72 degrees | Mixed swell from 300 and 210 degrees |
| Wed Oct 7 | Moderate | 2 to 4 feet. Sets to 5 feet | Mixed swell from 200 and 280 degrees |
From the National Weather Service San Diego surf zone forecast, issued 1:28am Tue Oct 6. Low: life-threatening rip currents unlikely but still possible; moderate: possible; high: likely. NWS surf forecast.
Closed: Grandview Beach access, Leucadia. The City of Encinitas closed the Grandview stairs on Sept 18 after a bluff failure, with concern about more failures within 300 feet of the stairs. No reopening date yet; the City points beachgoers to Beacon's or Ponto instead. Text PJ which access to use instead.
Official: City of Encinitas: Bluff Failures (report one: Encinitas Fire, 760-633-2800); also reported by North Coast Current · FOX 5. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Right now off Torrey Pines: 2.6 ft, ground swell 1.6 ft at 13.3 seconds from the SSW, wind waves 2.0 ft at 5.0s (buoy reading 11:56am).
Cleanest wind windows (glassy or offshore):
- Today (Tue Oct 6): 6pm to 7pm, glassy, tide 5.2 ft rising.
- Tomorrow (Wed Oct 7): 6am to 11am, glassy, tide 3.9 ft rising.
Biggest swell in the outlook: Thu, S 4 ft at 13s (coastal waters, out to 10 nautical miles).
Checked 12:31pm Tue Oct 6 PT. Buoy and offshore heights are open-ocean swell, not wave faces at the beach; the NWS surf-zone heights above are the beach call.
Buoys right now
| Buoy | Total | Ground swell | Wind waves | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torrey Pines Outer | 2.6 ft | 1.6 ft at 13.3s from SSW | 2.0 ft at 5.0s from WNW | 11:56am |
| Scripps Nearshore | 1.6 ft | 0.7 ft at 14.3s from WNW | 1.6 ft at 4.8s from WNW | 11:56am |
| Oceanside Offshore | 2.3 ft | 1.6 ft at 13.3s from SSW | 1.6 ft at 4.8s from WNW | 11:56am |
NOAA National Data Buoy Center spectral data. Ground swell is the long-period energy that makes clean waves; wind waves are short-period chop. Longer period means more push at the reef.
Wind and tide by the hour
| Hour | Wind | Conditions | Tide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today, Tuesday Oct 6 (sunrise 6:47, sunset 6:26) | |||
| 12pm | 6 mph W | Light onshore, fair | 2.1 ft ↓ |
| 1pm | 7 mph WNW | Light onshore, fair | 1.8 ft ↑ |
| 2pm | 8 mph WNW | Light onshore, fair | 2.0 ft ↑ |
| 3pm | 7 mph WNW | Light onshore, fair | 2.7 ft ↑ |
| 4pm | 7 mph NW | Light onshore, fair | 3.6 ft ↑ |
| 5pm | 6 mph NW | Light onshore, fair | 4.5 ft ↑ |
| 6pm | 5 mph NW | Glassy | 5.2 ft ↑ |
| Tomorrow, Wednesday Oct 7 (sunrise 6:47, sunset 6:25) | |||
| 6am | 1 mph E | Glassy | 3.9 ft ↑ |
| 7am | 1 mph ENE | Glassy | 4.8 ft ↑ |
| 8am | 1 mph ENE | Glassy | 5.1 ft ↓ |
| 9am | 2 mph NNE | Glassy | 4.8 ft ↓ |
| 10am | 3 mph NW | Glassy | 4.0 ft ↓ |
| 11am | 6 mph W | Light onshore, fair | 3.0 ft ↓ |
| 12pm | 7 mph W | Light onshore, fair | 2.0 ft ↓ |
| 1pm | 7 mph W | Light onshore, fair | 1.4 ft ↓ |
| 2pm | 7 mph W | Light onshore, fair | 1.2 ft ↑ |
| 3pm | 7 mph W | Light onshore, fair | 1.6 ft ↑ |
| 4pm | 6 mph W | Light onshore, fair | 2.4 ft ↑ |
| 5pm | 5 mph W | Glassy | 3.5 ft ↑ |
| 6pm | 3 mph W | Glassy | 4.6 ft ↑ |
National Weather Service hourly wind forecast for Fletcher Cove. On this west-facing coast, easterly wind is offshore (clean) and westerly is onshore (chop). Tides are NOAA predictions for La Jolla; arrows show rising or falling.
Swell outlook
| Day | Swell (biggest period first) | Wind |
|---|---|---|
| Today | S 2 ft at 14s · NW 2 ft at 5s | variable less than 12 mph, becoming NW 12 mph this afternoon |
| Wed | S 3 ft at 13s · W 2 ft at 5s | variable less than 12 mph, becoming W 12 mph in the afternoon |
| Thu | S 4 ft at 13s · W 2 ft at 5s | variable less than 12 mph, becoming W 12 mph in the afternoon |
| Fri | S 4 ft at 13s · W 2 ft at 9s · W 1 ft at 4s | variable less than 12 mph, becoming NW 12 mph in the afternoon |
| Sat | S 4 ft at 14s · W 3 ft at 5s | variable less than 12 mph, becoming W 12 mph in the afternoon |
National Weather Service San Diego coastal waters forecast, San Mateo Point to the Mexican border out to 10 nautical miles. Daytime periods.
Before the session
- Water quality: the County posts beach advisories and closures and says to check in before you get in: sdbeachinfo.com. Source: County of San Diego Environmental Health and Quality, sdbeachinfo.com, checked Oct 4, 2026.
- Left the leash, wax or wetsuit at home? Brought to Fletcher Cove, Tide Beach, Cardiff Reef or Del Mar: $35 a stop. Text PJ.
- Coffee and a breakfast burrito waiting in the lot when you paddle in: $35 a stop. Text PJ.
- No board? ✓ PJ checked in person · Oct 4 Ride Solana Beach rents them at 113 N. Acacia Ave, steps from Fletcher Cove, 8am to 7pm daily: an 8 ft beginner board is $25 a day, a wetsuit $20, a body board $20. A two-hour private lesson with board and wetsuit is $120. Ride Solana Beach · 858-663-4790. Source: ridesolanabeach.com (prices, address, hours) and their street sign, photographed by PJ, checked Oct 4, 2026.
- Water temperature for the wetsuit call: four buoys, last 7 days.
- Midday sun: UV by the hour · 7 days of tides · sunset session times.
Errands are things, not passengers.
Need a human?
This page is built every morning from public data by SideGuy, run by PJ, a local in Solana Beach. If something looks off, or you want a hand with your plans, text PJ at 858-461-8054. A real person answers.
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Questions people ask
How big is the surf in Solana Beach today?
The Torrey Pines Outer buoy reads 2.6 ft with ground swell 1.6 ft at 13.3 seconds from the SSW; the NWS surf-zone forecast on this page gives the beach call.
When is the wind best for surfing today?
Today (Tue Oct 6): 6pm to 7pm, glassy, tide 5.2 ft rising.
Is there a swell coming?
The biggest swell in the NWS coastal waters outlook is Thu: S 4 ft at 13 seconds.
Know someone who needs this?
Something changed here? Text PJ and we'll update this page.
More free local tools: the North County toolkit.