Santa Barbara County
Rincon surf report
1.6ft
Small — 1.6 ft.
Thursday, August 13 · local time at the spot
Right now
Swell
1.6 ft
8 s · WNW284°
Wind
3.9 kt
E 80° · gusting 5.8 kt
Water temperature
69.6°F
20.9 °C
Daylight
6:17 AM
sunrise · sunset 7:47 PM
Tide
Currently falling — next low at 4:52 AM (-0.862 ft)
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 4:52 AM | low | -0.862 ft |
| 11:14 AM | high | 4.802 ft |
| 4:35 PM | low | 1.534 ft |
| 10:40 PM | high | 6.36 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 | 1.1 ft | 8.9 s | E 101° |
| Thu | 1.1 ft | 8.2 s | E 99° |
| Fri | 1.1 ft | 7.8 s | E 96° |
| Sat | 1.2 ft | 4.7 s | E 91° |
| Sun | 1.9 ft | 4.9 s | E 94° |
| Mon | 2.6 ft | 5.5 s | E 94° |
A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.
What to wear
At 69.6 °F (20.9 °C), most people at Rincon are comfortable in a 2 mm shorty or spring suit.
2 mm
for 68–72 °F
Short arms and legs. Enough for a couple of hours; wind changes that quickly.
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
- Point break over cobblestone and rock
- Best swell
- W-NW groundswell in winter, wrapping around Point Conception
- Best wind
- Offshore NE, otherwise light and variable
- Tide
- Low to mid tide
- Level
- Intermediate to expert
Hazards
- Crowds
- Rocks
- Localism
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
- NDBC 46053 buoy wind · read 1:40 AM
- NOAA WaveWatch III 46053 model cycle 20260813 0z · model · read 2:15 AM
- NDBC 46053 buoy wave height · read 1:20 AM
- NOAA CO-OPS 9411270 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
- Santa Barbara 1.6 ft · 20 km
- Ventura 1.6 ft · 20 km
- Campus Point 1.6 ft · 34 km
- St. Augustine 1 ft · 3609 km
- Ala Moana Bowls 3.3 ft · 4015 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.