San Elijo State Beach
3ft·beginner-intermediate
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA
87
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA
Checking rip currents…
Explore forecastValid Fri 7:00 AM America/Los_Angeles · Source updated Thu 11:51 PM · Computed Fri 1:30 AM · CDIP, NOAA NWS, NOAA COOPS, Open-Meteo, NOAA CO-OPS
Forecast accuracy & methodologyToday by time
Latest daily forecast · Fri, Nov 13 · America/Los_Angeles. Separate from the selected day above.
| Time | Surf | Quiver call | Swell | Wind | Tide | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 AM | 4.2 ft | — | 3.4 ft @ 15s W (1.7 ft @ 14s W) | 6 mph SE | 4.6 ft · Falling | 99% |
| 4:00 AM | 3.6 ft | — | 3 ft @ 11s W (2.1 ft @ 13s SSW) | 13 mph SE | 4.4 ft · Rising | 92% |
| 7:00 AM | 3.7 ft | Best window | 3.1 ft @ 11s W (2.1 ft @ 13s SSW) | 10 mph SE | 5.6 ft · Rising | 91% |
| 10:00 AM | 3.8 ft | — | 3.1 ft @ 11s W (2.1 ft @ 13s SSW) | 10 mph S | 6.7 ft · Falling | 89% |
| 1:00 PM | 3.7 ft | — | 3.1 ft @ 11s W (2.1 ft @ 13s SSW) | 10 mph SW | 5.3 ft · Falling | 88% |
| 4:00 PM | 3.3 ft | — | 2.5 ft @ 9s W (2.2 ft @ 13s W) | 15 mph SW | 2.5 ft · Falling | 86% |
| 7:00 PM | 2.9 ft | — | 2.4 ft @ 11s W (1.9 ft @ 10s WNW) | 15 mph W | 1.9 ft · Rising | 85% |
| 10:00 PM | 3.1 ft | — | 2.6 ft @ 11s W (1.8 ft @ 9s WNW) | 15 mph W | 3.5 ft · Rising | 40% |
Pipes works best on clean W to NW swells in the 3-7 foot range on a rising mid-tide (2.5-4 ft). The rising tide is key here—it fills in over the reef progressively, keeping the wave clean and workable as the session goes on. Light east-northeast offshores groom the face perfectly. The reef needs enough swell to break cleanly over the shelf; under 3 feet and the wave is weak and crumbly. Overhead-plus swells can overwhelm the reef and produce close-outs. The Goldilocks zone is 4-6 feet with 12+ second period on a rising tide.
Selected day: 2026-11-13 · America/Los_Angeles
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