San Luis Obispo County
Pismo Beach surf report
4.6ft
Solid — 4.6 ft.
Thursday, August 13 · local time at the spot
Right now
Swell
4.6 ft
9 s · WNW288°
Wind
This buoy carries no anemometer, so there is no wind reading here.
Water temperature
64.9°F
18.3 °C
Daylight
6:21 AM
sunrise · sunset 7:53 PM
Tide
Currently falling — next low at 5:19 AM (-0.892 ft)
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 5:19 AM | low | -0.892 ft |
| 11:43 AM | high | 4.648 ft |
| 5:04 PM | low | 1.602 ft |
| 11:04 PM | high | 6.051 ft |
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 | 3.1 ft | 8.9 s | ESE 122° |
| Thu | 2.8 ft | 7.9 s | ESE 118° |
| Fri | 2.4 ft | 8 s | ESE 119° |
| Sat | 2.5 ft | 6.9 s | ESE 119° |
| Sun | 2.4 ft | 5.6 s | ESE 117° |
| Mon | 1.9 ft | 14.3 s | NNE 31° |
A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.
What to wear
At 64.9 °F (18.3 °C), most people at Pismo Beach are comfortable in a 3/2 mm full suit.
3/2 mm
for 62–68 °F
The workhorse of temperate water. 3 mm on the body, 2 mm on the limbs.
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
- Long beach break around the pier
- Best swell
- W to NW groundswell
- Best wind
- Offshore E in the morning
- Tide
- Mid tide
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
Hazards
- Rip currents
- Cold water
- Wind chop by midday
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 46215 model cycle 20260813 0z · model · read 2:15 AM
- NDBC 46215 buoy wave height · read 1:26 AM
- NOAA CO-OPS 9412110 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
- Morro Bay 4.6 ft · 33 km
- Cayucos 4.6 ft · 41 km
- Jalama Beach 4.9 ft · 71 km
- The Wedge 2.6 ft · 306 km
- San Onofre 2.6 ft · 344 km
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.