San Elijo State Beach
2.5ft·beginner-intermediate
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA
79
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA
Tomorrow
Checking rip currents…
Explore forecastValid Tue 8:00 AM America/Los_Angeles · Source updated Mon 5:00 PM · Computed Mon 6:51 PM · CDIP, NOAA NWS, NOAA COOPS, Open-Meteo, NOAA CO-OPS
Forecast accuracy & methodologyToday by time
Latest daily forecast · Mon, Sep 28 · America/Los_Angeles. Separate from the selected day above.
| Time | Surf | Quiver callSign in | Swell | Wind | Tide | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:00 AM | 3.2 ft | — | 3.2 ft @ 11s SSW (1 ft @ 9s WNW) | 5 mph NW | 1.1 ft · Rising | 95% |
| 5:00 AM | 3 ft | — | 3.2 ft @ 11s SSW (1.6 ft @ 6s W) | 5 mph SE | 3.6 ft · Rising | 94% |
| 8:00 AM | 2.5 ft | — | 2.2 ft @ 13s SW (1.4 ft @ 12s SSE) | 6 mph W | 4.4 ft · Rising | 100% |
| 11:00 AM | 2.6 ft | — | 2.2 ft @ 22s WSW (1.6 ft @ 11s SSE) | 9 mph WNW | 4.3 ft · Falling | 100% |
| 2:00 PM | 2.6 ft | — | 2.2 ft @ 22s WSW (1.6 ft @ 11s SSE) | 9 mph W | 1.8 ft · Falling | 99% |
| 5:00 PM | 3.2 ft | — | 2.9 ft @ 12s SW (1.6 ft @ 11s S) | 9 mph WNW | 0.1 ft · Rising | 100% |
| 8:00 PM | 3.2 ft | — | 2.9 ft @ 12s SW (1.6 ft @ 10s S) | 6 mph NNW | 2.2 ft · Rising | 99% |
| 11:00 PM | 3 ft | — | 2.9 ft @ 7s W (1.7 ft @ 9s SSW) | 5 mph E | 4.2 ft · Falling | 92% |
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: 2026-09-28 · America/Los_Angeles
