San Diego County
San Onofre surf report
3.3ft
Fun-sized — 3.3 ft.
Sunday, September 27 · local time at the spot
Right now
Swell
3.3 ft
13 s · SSW196°
Wind
This buoy carries no anemometer, so there is no wind reading here.
Water temperature
73.2°F
22.9 °C
Daylight
6:41 AM
sunrise · sunset 6:39 PM
Rip current risk
High risk
Life threatening rip currents are likely.
NWS surf forecast: 2–4 ft (today, San Diego County Coastal Areas)
Every level, including Low, describes currents that can kill — how to spot one from the beach and what to do if you are caught.
Tide
Currently rising — next high at 9:40 AM (5.771 ft)
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 3:34 AM | low | 0.69 ft |
| 9:40 AM | high | 5.771 ft |
| 4:11 PM | low | 0.192 ft |
| 10:10 PM | high | 4.778 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat | 3 ft | 12.6 s | NNE 21° |
| Sun | 2.9 ft | 12.3 s | NNE 18° |
| Mon | 2.7 ft | 12.6 s | NNE 20° |
| Tue | 1.8 ft | 6.9 s | E 90° |
| Wed | 1.4 ft | 5.9 s | E 88° |
| Thu | 1.3 ft | 14.2 s | NNE 32° |
A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.
What to wear
At 73.2 °F (22.9 °C), most people at San Onofre 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
- Long cobblestone point with several mellow peaks
- Best swell
- S to SW summer groundswell
- Best wind
- Offshore E in the morning
- Tide
- Mid to high tide
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
Hazards
- Cobblestones underfoot
- State park access and parking limits
- Longboard crowd
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 6:38 AM
- NOAA WaveWatch III 46224 model cycle 20260927 6z · model · read 6:38 AM
- NDBC 46277 buoy wave height · read 4:30 AM
- NOAA CO-OPS TWC0419 tide predictions · read 6:38 AM
- NWS Surf Zone Forecast SGX zone CAZ043 · read 12:28 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
- Trestles 3.3 ft · 3 km
- Salt Creek 4.3 ft · 18 km
- Oceanside 3 ft · 26 km
- The Wedge 4.3 ft · 38 km
- Waimea Bay 7.2 ft · 4172 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.