Cardiff Reef Surf Break
Lat Long: 33.06° N 117.31° W

Cardiff Reef Surf Guide

Weather Forecast for Cardiff Reef

Issued: 4 pm 08 Jun 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cardiff Reef sea temperature is
19.1° C

2.0°C warmer than normal for this time of year

Cardiff Reef surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.

Cardiff Reef break guidePhoto by: Michael Milligan

Cardiff Reef Surf Guide

Cardiff Reef in San Diego County is an exposed reef break that is usually a safe bet. Winter is the best time of year for surfing here. The best wind direction is from the east. Groundswells more frequent than windswells and the ideal swell angle is from the west northwest. Both left (best) and right reef breaks.. Good surf at all stages of the tide. Sometimes crowded. Watch out for crowds and rocks.

Cardiff Reef Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef2very consistent
19.1°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Cardiff Reef:

The best conditions reported for surf at Cardiff Reef occur when a West-northwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East.

What's the best time of year to surf Cardiff Reef (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: winter
The best time of year for surfing Cardiff Reef with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter  and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 47% of the time in January while 31% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 22% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
47%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
31%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
22%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Cardiff Reef Location Map

Interactive Cardiff Reef surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Cardiff Reef is Miramar Mcas Airport (NKX) in USA, 26 km (16 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Cardiff Reef is San Diego International Lindbergh Fld Airport (SAN), also in USA, 38 km (24 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Cardiff Reef Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Monday, 8 June 2026, 20:47 Local Time
MonTue
8PM11PM2AM5AM
Wave (m)
0.7
SW
0.7
SW
0.7
SW
0.7
SSW
Period (s) 14 14 14 14
Wind (km/h)
10
5
0
0
Wind State on glass glass glass

What does Cardiff Reef look like?

Latest photos from Cardiff Reef. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Michael Milligan

    Tides at Cardiff Reef

    Current tide and informaton
    For Solana Beach, 8 km from Cardiff Reef.
    Next High Water: 04:22am | 1.44m
    Tidal range Clock
    Next Low Water: 11:11pm | 1.04m
    IS AT (local time)

    Cardiff Reef Sea Temperature

    The water temperature (19.1 °C) at Cardiff Reef is relatively warm. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a summer wetsuit. Effective air temperature of 19.0 °C.

    Today, many surfers would wear a summer wetsuit.
    Current Temp*: 19.1°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite
    water-temp
    California Sea TemperatureView Sea Temp Map

    Swell History at Cardiff Reef

    Surf stats for Cardiff Reef, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

    Cardiff Reef Location Map
    Average Swell
    View Swell Statistics

    Wind History at Cardiff Reef

    Wind stats for Cardiff Reef, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

    Cardiff Reef Location Map
    Average Wind
    View Wind Statistics

    Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:

    Discover surf breaks near Cardiff Reef. Click below to view there surf guides.

    Wave Buoys Nearest To Cardiff Reef:

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