Orange County
Seal Beach surf report
1.6ft
Small — 1.6 ft.
Saturday, September 26 · local time at the spot
Right now
Swell
1.6 ft
13 s · SW216°
Wind
This buoy carries no anemometer, so there is no wind reading here.
Water temperature
70.9°F
21.6 °C
Daylight
6:43 AM
sunrise · sunset 6:43 PM
Rip current risk
High risk
Life threatening rip currents are likely.
NWS surf forecast: 3–5 ft (today, Orange County Coastal)
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 9:36 AM (5.605 ft)
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 3:24 AM | low | 0.559 ft |
| 9:36 AM | high | 5.605 ft |
| 3:47 PM | low | 0.517 ft |
| 9:54 PM | high | 5.27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 1.3 ft | 11.2 s | NNE 28° |
| Sat | 1.3 ft | 12.1 s | NNE 27° |
| Sun | 1.8 ft | 12.5 s | NNE 19° |
| Mon | 1.8 ft | 6.5 s | E 88° |
| Tue | 1.3 ft | 6.1 s | E 85° |
| Wed | 1.3 ft | 5.3 s | E 86° |
A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.
What to wear
At 70.9 °F (21.6 °C), most people at Seal Beach 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
- Beach break either side of the pier
- Best swell
- S to SW summer swell; sheltered from NW by Palos Verdes
- Best wind
- Offshore E
- Tide
- Mid to high tide
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
Hazards
- Rip currents at the jetty
- River-mouth water quality
- Small on most winter swells
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 5:46 AM
- NOAA WaveWatch III 46256 model cycle 20260926 6z · model · read 5:46 AM
- NDBC 46256 buoy wave height · read 5:26 AM
- NOAA CO-OPS 9410678 tide predictions · read 5:46 AM
- NWS Surf Zone Forecast SGX zone CAZ552 · read 1:18 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
- Bolsa Chica 2 ft · 8 km
- Huntington Beach 2 ft · 13 km
- Newport Beach 2 ft · 22 km
- Trestles 3.6 ft · 62 km
- Wrightsville Beach 3.3 ft · 3693 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.