Dawn patrol surfing in Encinitas

Encinitas, California

Updated February 10, 2026 at 7:20 PM · Dialed recommendations refresh every 30 minutes based on tide, wind, and crowd telemetry from Quiver.

First light in Encinitas means glass, empty peaks, and the best conditions of the day before thermal onshores build. These 6 spots are worth the 5am alarm.

Top spot recommendations

Sort your quiver, choose the right tide window, and jot down a backup in case the main peak gets stacked.

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Featured Beaches(6)

Beacons

Intermediate

No description available.

Cardiff Reef

Intermediate

Cardiff Reef offers North San Diego County's best longboarding experience rated 7/10. This grass-covered flat reef produces quarter-mile rides over mellow, mushy waves ideal for multi-generational families.

D Street

Beginner friendly

No description available.

Grandview

Beginner friendly

Grandview provides beginner-friendly Leucadia beachbreak rated 6/10. Rock bottom covered by sand creates inside beachbreak and outside reef breaks.

Moonlight State Beach

Beginner friendly

No description available.

Swami's

Advanced

Swami's ranks among Southern California's premier right pointbreaks, rated 9/10. This reef/point break under Self-Realization Fellowship's golden domes receives west swells (240-310°, center 270°) with east offshore winds (90°) optimal.

What to focus on today

  • Glassy morning conditions before onshore winds
  • Less crowded lineups at sunrise
  • East-facing beaches for sunrise views
  • Spots with easy parking for early arrivals

Session logging tips

Once you wrap the surf, drop a note in your Quiver journal with tide, board, and crowd observations. Over time you'll see crystal-clear patterns about when Encinitas rewards this type of session objective.

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