Tide conditions for San Diego surf spots

San Diego, California

Updated Refreshed hourly · Tide data refreshes every 30 minutes from NOAA stations.

A foot of tide swing can shut down one break and light up another in San Diego. These 23 spots all respond differently - some need the low to expose the bar, others clean up on a rising mid.

Current Tide

5.0ft
Rising

Next High

08:00 AM

5 ft

NOAA tide data via Cached Tide Data

Tide Chart

7-Day Tide Schedule

Today

8:00 AM (5.0ft)
3:00 PM (-0.3ft)

Tomorrow

9:00 AM (5.1ft)
3:00 AM (0.3ft)
3:00 PM (0.0ft)

Wed, Apr 1

10:00 AM (4.6ft)
10:00 PM (5.3ft)
4:00 AM (0.3ft)
4:00 PM (0.5ft)

Thu, Apr 2

4:00 AM (0.0ft)
4:00 PM (0.6ft)

Fri, Apr 3

11:00 AM (4.0ft)
11:00 PM (5.1ft)
5:00 AM (-0.1ft)

Sat, Apr 4

11:00 PM (5.3ft)

Beach Tide Preferences

Each beach performs best at a specific tide range and direction. Plan your session around these windows.

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(23)

Avalanche

Advanced

Avalanche is a beach break in San Diego, CA. It is suited for beginner-intermediate surfers. Watch out for rip currents, pollution.

Big Jetty

Advanced

Big Jetty is a jetty break in San Diego, CA. It is suited for intermediate-advanced surfers. Watch out for rip currents, rocks, strong currents, pollution.

Blacks

Advanced

Blacks Beach represents San Diego County's best beach break and California premier beach break overall, rated 9/10.

Coronado North Jetty

Advanced

Coronado North Jetty is a jetty break in San Diego, CA. It is suited for intermediate-advanced surfers. Watch out for rip currents, rocks, strong currents, pollution.

Crystal Pier

Advanced

Crystal Pier is a jetty break in San Diego, CA. It is suited for intermediate-advanced surfers. Watch out for rip currents, rocks, strong currents, pollution.

Hotel Del Coronado

Beginner friendly

Hotel Del Coronado is a beach break in San Diego, CA. It is suited for beginner-intermediate surfers. Watch out for rip currents, pollution.

Marine Street Beach

Beginner friendly

Marine Street Beach is a beach break in San Diego, CA. It is suited for beginner-intermediate surfers. Watch out for rip currents, pollution.

Mission Beach

Intermediate

Mission Beach serves as central San Diego surfing bellwether rated 6/10. Nearly 2-mile stretch from South Mission Jetty to Pacific Beach offers year-round beachbreak.

Mission Beach (Central)

Beginner friendly

Beachbreak at South Mission with a jetty that creates wedging waves. Big parking lot fills with volleyball crowds mid-day. Mid tide steadies the wave shape. Onshores wreck afternoons so go early for best conditions. The jetty rip runs hard on overhead pulses - keep eyes on the current.

New Break (Nubes)

Beginner friendly

New Break (Nubes) is a beach break in San Diego, CA. It is suited for beginner-intermediate surfers. Watch out for rip currents, pollution.

Ocean Beach

Advanced

Ocean Beach delivers San Diego's most consistent surf rated 8/10 but most dangerous beach. Receives all swell directions 200-310° (center 270°) with east offshore winds (90°).

Ocean Beach Pier

Advanced

Powerful beachbreak near the OB Pier with shifting sandbars that can handle serious size. The pier creates banks that often produce the best waves in the area. Morning offshore winds during Santa Ana conditions make for epic sessions. Be mindful of the jetty and pier - both create strong rips when the swell is up.

Osprey Point

Intermediate

Osprey Point is a point break in San Diego, CA. It is best suited for intermediate surfers. Watch out for rip currents, rocks, sea urchins, pollution.

Pacific Beach

Beginner friendly

Pacific Beach (Crystal Pier) offers multiple peaks rated 5/10—always something but rarely truly good.

PB Point

Intermediate

PB Point is a point break in San Diego, CA. It is best suited for intermediate surfers. Watch out for rip currents, rocks, sea urchins, pollution.

Silver Strand State Beach

Beginner friendly

Silver Strand State Beach (Coronado) offers beginner-friendly gentle waves rated 4/10 for inconsistency.

Sunset Cliffs – Garbage

Intermediate to expert

Garbage at Sunset Cliffs is an exposed reef with left and right peaks. It lights up during winter west and northwest swells and is best surfed at low to mid tide. Access involves scrambling down a cliff to a rocky beach; the wave is powerful with strong currents and is better for experienced surfers.

Sunset Cliffs – Luscombs

Advanced

Luscombs Point is a left-handing reef at Sunset Cliffs that produces long, powerful walls during west swells. Access is via a fenced point where surfers climb down the rocks and jump off a ledge; timing your entry with the incoming waves is critical. The wave is fast and shallow, so it's suited to advanced surfers.

Sunset Cliffs North (Garbage)

Advanced

Sunset Cliffs features multiple reef breaks along Point Loma rated 7/10 with numerous named spots (Luscomb's Point, Garbage Beach, New Break, Abs, Osprey).

Tijuana Sloughs

Intermediate to expert

Tijuana Sloughs represents legendary big-wave spot rated 5/10 for consistency but major pollution issues.

Torrey Pines State Beach

Beginner friendly

Torrey Pines State Beach is a beach break in San Diego, CA. It is suited for beginner-intermediate surfers. Watch out for rip currents, pollution.

Tourmaline

Beginner friendly

Tourmaline (Old Man's) provides exceptional longboarding and best beginner spot in San Diego, rated 6/10.

Tourmaline Surf Park

Beginner friendly

Longboard and fish heaven with soft, rolling waves and cruisey shoulders. Best on mid to high tide with small W/NW or combo swells. The parking lot fills late morning but has decent turnover. Gentle vibe overall, though watch for drifting learners. Perfect spot for a mellow session on a small day.

What to focus on today

  • Annotated tide windows tied to specific breaks
  • How lunar cycles reshape sandbars through the season
  • Safety notes for rip-prone outbound tides
  • Session planning tips for dawn patrol versus sunset

Frequently Asked Questions

About surfing in San Diego

Tide preferences vary by spot in San Diego. Generally, incoming mid-tides work well for most beaches, offering a good balance of wave shape and power. Check individual spot guides for specific tide recommendations.
Tides significantly impact surf conditions in San Diego. Low tide can expose reefs and sandbars creating hollow waves, while high tide often creates softer, more forgiving waves. Mid-tide transitions typically offer the most consistent conditions.
You can check tide charts for San Diego on Quiver's surf forecast pages, NOAA tide predictions, or various surf forecast apps. Quiver provides real-time tide information integrated with surf conditions for accurate session planning.

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