Beacons Surf Guide

Beacons in San Diego County is an exposed beach and reef break that has very consistent surf and works all around the year. Offshore winds are from the east. Groundswells more frequent than windswells and the optimum swell angle is from the west. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights as well as a right hand reef break.. Surfable at all stages of the tide. It's often crowded here. Rocks are a hazard.

Beacons Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach and reef3very consistent
68°F*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Beacons:

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

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

januaryBest Season: winter
The best time of year for surfing Beacons 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 52% of the time in January while 35% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 13% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
52%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
35%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
13%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Beacons Location Map

Interactive Beacons 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 Beacons is Miramar Mcas Airport (NKX) in USA, 32 km (20 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Beacons is San Diego International Lindbergh Fld Airport (SAN), also in USA, 44 km (27 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (ft)
  • Live Wind Speed (mph)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (ft)
  • Wind Speed (mph)
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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.
Beacons Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Monday, 7 July 2025, 10:27 Local Time
Monday 07
8AM11AM2PM5PM
Wave (ft)
3.5
SSW
3.5
SSW
3
SSW
3
SSW
Period (s) 16 16 15 15
Wind (mph)
5
10
10
10
Wind State glass on on on

Swell History at Beacons

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

Wind History at Beacons

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


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