Reported Nov 13, 1:56 AM PSTBuoy 46232

Point Loma South, CA

Name: Point Loma South, CA buoy 46232 wave observations
Creator: NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC); station operated by SCRIPPS
License: https://www.usa.gov/government-works

California, United States

Last wave reading: Nov 13, 12:56 AM PST

Now at the buoy

Significant wave height at the buoy

5.9 ft

1.8 m

Dominant period: 12 s
Direction: from W 281°

Swell

5.2 ft1.6 m

12 sfrom W 270°

Wind waves

2.6 ft0.8 m

9.9 sfrom W 270°

Mid-period swell leads: 5.2 ft at 12 s from the W, with 2.6 ft of wind waves at 9.9 s from the W on top. Building over the last 6 hours, up 1.0 ft.

Significant wave height is the average of the biggest third of waves at the buoy. It is not surf height at a beach.

Trend at the buoy

Height at the buoy

Total (significant height)
Swell
Wind waves

Period

Swell period
Wind-wave period

Hourly means of the buoy's readings. Arrows point the way the waves travel.

Model vs the buoy

Buoy, hourly
Model, past days
Model forecast

Over the last 5 days, the model ran 11% high against the buoy.

Model peak each day at the buoy
Day	Height	Peak period	From
Fri, Nov 13	8.2 ft	14 s	W
Sat, Nov 14	11.7 ft	18 s	WNW
Sun, Nov 15	11.3 ft	17 s	WNW
Mon, Nov 16	10.8 ft	16 s	WNW
Tue, Nov 17	12.4 ft	11 s	WNW
Wed, Nov 18	8.5 ft	11 s	WNW
Thu, Nov 19	5.7 ft	6.9 s	W

ECMWF WAM wave model via Open-Meteo, nearest model cell (32.500°N, 117.500°W). Both lines are significant wave height at sea, the same measure the buoy reports. Model output, not a Quiver beach forecast.

Beaches whose Quiver forecast uses this buoy

New Break (Nubes)27 km
Quiver forecast now: 3-4ft
Sunset Cliffs North (Garbage)27 km
Quiver forecast now: 3-4ft
Sunset Cliffs – Garbage27 km
Quiver forecast now: 3-4ft
Imperial Beach Pier28 km
Quiver forecast now: 3-4ft
Sunset Cliffs – Luscombs28 km
Quiver forecast now: 3-4ft
Tijuana Sloughs28 km
Quiver forecast now: 3-4ft
Imperial Beach28 km
Quiver forecast now: 3-4ft
Osprey Point29 km
Quiver forecast now: 3-4ft
Rosarito39 km
Quiver forecast now: 4-5ft

Beach numbers are each beach's own Quiver forecast, not a conversion of this buoy reading.

Nearby buoys

Mission Bay West, CA4.3 ft · 13 sLive · 27 km
Scripps Nearshore, CA2.6 ft · 13 sLive · 42 km
La Jolla, CA3.3 ft · 12 sLive · 42 km
Torrey Pines Outer, CA3.9 ft · 13 sLive · 46 km
Del Mar Nearshore, CA4.3 ft · 14 sLive · 51 km
San Clemente Basin - 27NM SE of San Clemente Is, CA7.5 ft · 15 sStale · 57 km

Nearest tide station: Point Loma 24 km for today’s highs and lows.

How to read this buoy

Point Loma South, CA sits 27 km from the closest beach listed here: near enough to show what is arriving, far enough that islands, points and the seabed still change it before it breaks.

Over the readings shown here, most wave energy reached this buoy from the S and W.

Biggest hourly reading in that record: 7.4 ft at 6.5 s on Nov 1.

Station id: 46232
CDIP id: 191
Operator: SCRIPPS
Program: IOOS Partners
Position: 32.517°N, 117.425°W
Type: Moored buoy
Local time zone: America/Tijuana
Swell split: Yes, swell and wind waves reported

Source: NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC); station operated by SCRIPPS. Licence: Public domain (US government work). Station page at the source.

Not for navigation. Readings can be late, missing or wrong; check official marine forecasts before going to sea.

Buoy terms

Significant height: The average of the biggest third of waves the buoy measured. Sets in the surf zone can be bigger or smaller.
Dominant period: Seconds between the waves carrying the most energy. Longer period means more power and more bend around points.
Swell vs wind waves: Swell was made by distant wind; wind waves were made nearby. The buoy splits its spectrum at a cutoff period to report each.
Direction: Where waves come from, in degrees true. 270° is from the west.