Pipes Current Conditions Summary

Pipes in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA is a reef break, suited for intermediate surfers. Current conditions: 0.7 ft waves, sw 0–9 mph (onshore), falling → low. Small for this break but conditions look fun — 0.7 ft with manageable wind. Pipes is a reef break in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA. A rocky reef break named for the drainage pipes visible at low tide along the shoreline. The due-west aspect (270 degrees) catches W and NW swell directly. The reef produces a defined right-hand wave with a steep takeoff section that mellows into a tapered wall—good for two or three solid turns before the wave flattens into the channel. Lefts are shorter but occasionally hollow on lower tides. A rising tide is preferred and moves the takeoff slightly north as the water fills in over the reef shelf. The wave has more power than Cardiff Reef to the south because the reef is shallower and better defined. Forecasts are updated every 3 hours using ML-corrected NOAA models with live buoy data from CDIP, NDBC, and IOOS stations.