San Diego County

Carlsbad surf report

2.6ft

Fun-sized — 2.6 ft.

NDBC 46274 updated 1:56 AM

Thursday, August 13 · local time at the spot

Right now

Swell

2.6 ft

13 s · SW229°

NDBC 46274 updated 1:56 AM

Wind

This buoy carries no anemometer, so there is no wind reading here.

Water temperature

73.4°F

23 °C

NDBC 46274 updated 1:56 AM

Daylight

6:11 AM

sunrise · sunset 7:36 PM

Solunar, computed updated 2:15 AM

Tide

Currently falling — next low at 4:25 AM (-0.916 ft)

Time	Tide	Height
4:25 AM	low	-0.916 ft
10:45 AM	high	4.885 ft
4:09 PM	low	1.293 ft
10:15 PM	high	6.412 ft

NOAA CO-OPS 9410230 updated 2:15 AM

Tide values are predictions. Wind, pressure and surge move the real water level, sometimes by a lot — see the disclaimer.

Forecast

Model output, not a measurement — NOAA WaveWatch III

Day	Height	Period	Direction
Wed	1.2 ft	11.8 s	N 8°
Thu	1.2 ft	12.4 s	N 6°
Fri	1.5 ft	15.1 s	NNE 28°
Sat	2.3 ft	16.5 s	NNE 20°
Sun	2.4 ft	15.3 s	NNE 25°
Mon	2.1 ft	14.4 s	NNE 25°

NOAA WaveWatch III 46224 updated 2:15 AM

A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.

What to wear

At 73.4 °F (23 °C), most people at Carlsbad are comfortable in a rash guard or a 1 mm top.

1 mm top

for 72–75 °F

The top is as much about sun and rash as about warmth.

The temperature is measured. The suit recommendation is not — it follows the manufacturers' convention, which varies by a degree or two between brands, and it knows nothing about wind, session length or how you personally run. The full chart and what it leaves out.

Surf cam

No cam here yet. We operate no cameras of our own and embed only where the operator allows it — the rule is on the copyright page. Cam operators who would like a link are welcome to write.

The break

Type: Beach break along a long open stretch
Best swell: W to NW groundswell
Best wind: Offshore E
Tide: Mid tide
Level: Beginner to intermediate

Hazards

Rip currents
Cobble at some tides
Water quality after rain at the lagoon mouths

Local knowledge, not a measurement. Conditions decide the day — check the National Weather Service for warnings and the lifeguards for whether to go in.

Every source behind this page

Solunar computed · read 2:15 AM
NOAA WaveWatch III 46224 model cycle 20260813 0z · model · read 2:15 AM
NDBC 46274 buoy wave height · read 1:56 AM
NOAA CO-OPS 9410230 tide predictions · read 2:15 AM

All of it is public NOAA and National Weather Service data, free for anyone to use. What we add is the pairing of this spot with these stations — see the terms.

Nearby spots

Oceanside 3 ft · 7 km
Encinitas 2.6 ft · 12 km
Del Mar 2.3 ft · 22 km
El Porto 2.6 ft · 130 km
Hanalei Bay 4.9 ft · 4295 km

Christoph Ballmer Builds and checks BreakAtlas

Builds daily report sites from public NOAA data — and names the station behind every number.

Surf and beach conditions change faster than this page does, and nobody watches it in real time. When the water looks different from the numbers, trust the water and the lifeguards.