San Diego tide guide for faster wave selection

Blacks Beach channels canyon energy into powerful wedges that break with more punch than any other San Diego beachbreak. Long-period northwest swells focus into double-up peaks, while south swells wrap in with surprising consistency.

Swami's is a reef point that peels with machine-like precision when combo swells line up. The right wraps around the kelp line, offering long walls for carves and noserides alike.

Windansea is a shallow reef that draws in west swells and unloads with punchy peaks and hollow pockets. The takeoff is steep, rewarding precise positioning.

Ocean Beach offers a mix of pier bowls and outer sandbars that light up on west swells. The municipal pier refracts swell energy into wedgy peaks that entice shortboarders and body surfers alike.

Sunset Cliffs is a collection of reef bowls tucked beneath sandstone bluffs. Different coves switch on depending on swell direction, rewarding exploration and confident entries.

Cardiff Reef is a mellow kelp-covered reef that turns combo swells into playful rights and cruisey lefts. The wave stands up softly, making it a haven for fish, mid-lengths, and logs.

Pipes is a high-tide favorite with playful peaks that run along a cobblestone bottom. The wave has more punch than Cardiff, attracting shortboarders and fish riders.

Torrey Pines State Beach stretches beneath dramatic cliffs, producing a variety of sandbars that favor combo swells. The north end near the river mouth offers the most consistent peaks.