Reported Nov 12, 11:56 PM PSTBuoy 46225

Torrey Pines Outer, CA

Name: Torrey Pines Outer, CA buoy 46225 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 12, 10:56 PM PST

Now at the buoy

Significant wave height at the buoy

4.3 ft

1.3 m

Dominant period: 14 s
Direction: from W 259°

Swell

3.6 ft1.1 m

14 sfrom W 270°

Wind waves

2.3 ft0.7 m

9.9 sfrom W 270°

Long-period groundswell leads: 3.6 ft at 14 s from the W, with 2.3 ft of wind waves at 9.9 s from the W on top. Holding steady over the last 6 hours.

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 22% high against the buoy.

Model peak each day at the buoy
Day	Height	Peak period	From
Fri, Nov 13	6.6 ft	14 s	W
Sat, Nov 14	9.8 ft	17 s	W
Sun, Nov 15	9.3 ft	17 s	W
Mon, Nov 16	9.1 ft	16 s	W
Tue, Nov 17	10.0 ft	14 s	W
Wed, Nov 18	6.6 ft	12 s	W
Thu, Nov 19	4.7 ft	7 s	W

ECMWF WAM wave model via Open-Meteo, nearest model cell (33.000°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.

Nearby beaches

Listed by distance only. Their Quiver forecasts are not linked to this buoy.

Del Mar12 km
Quiver forecast now: 4-5ft
Del Mar Rivermouth12 km
Quiver forecast now: 5-6ft
Torrey Pines State Beach12 km
Quiver forecast now: 6-7ft
Solana Beach13 km
Quiver forecast now: 3-4ft
Seaside Reef13 km
Quiver forecast now: 5-6ft
George's13 km
Quiver forecast now: 4-5ft
Cardiff Reef14 km
Quiver forecast now: 5-6ft
Blacks Beach14 km
Quiver forecast now: 5-6ft
San Elijo State Beach14 km
Quiver forecast now: 4-5ft
Pipes14 km
Quiver forecast now: 4-5ft

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

Nearby buoys

Del Mar Nearshore, CA4.3 ft · 13 sLive · 11 km
Scripps Nearshore, CA3.0 ft · 13 sLive · 14 km
La Jolla, CA3.0 ft · 13 sLive · 15 km
Leucadia Nearshore, CA5.2 ft · 13 sLive · 16 km
Mission Bay West, CA4.6 ft · 14 sLive · 23 km
Oceanside Offshore, CA3.6 ft · 13 sLive · 28 km

Nearest tide station: La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) 14 km for today’s highs and lows.

How to read this buoy

Torrey Pines Outer, CA sits close to shore, 12 km from the closest beach listed here. Its readings already include some of the local shadowing, so they track nearby beaches more closely than an offshore buoy.

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

Biggest hourly reading in that record: 7.1 ft at 11 s on Nov 1.

Station id: 46225
CDIP id: 100
Operator: SCRIPPS
Program: IOOS Partners
Position: 32.933°N, 117.391°W
Type: Moored buoy
Local time zone: America/Los_Angeles
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.