Surf Forecasts:
Big Rock surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 21 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 20 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s period, SW swell with 516 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 17 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Big Rock this week:
The surf forecast for Big Rock over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Big Rock in the next 16 days are 0.9m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sun 20th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Big Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Imperial
Alright folks, lookin' at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a bit of a tough stretch. We’ve only got one spot really in the picture, and even then, it's gonna be a grind. We're looking at a solid run of small, onshore wind junk for the most part.
First things first, the water temp's about average for this time of year, nothing crazy going on there. Now, Big Rock is our only option. It's an exposed reef break for advanced surfers only, and it's fairly consistent, which is about the only positive here. The swell's coming from the southwest, which is what it likes, and the period is long, pushing 17 seconds on the 16th of September. That's proper groundswell, giving plenty of energy for an exposed spot like this – we're seeing moderate wave energy (392). But the problem is the wind. That Wednesday morning it's a light cross-onshore from the SW, just 6 mph, but it's enough to mess with the face. The wave comment says "poor surf conditions" and a score of zero, so that's that.
Thursday the 17th morning is a bit more promising, with a clean offshore wind from the west at 6 mph. It’s still small, 3 ft, and the period drops a touch to 15 seconds. The energy reading is stronger at 425. It's listed as "marginal", which is the best we get. This is the one window that might be worth a look if you're desperate. The wind is clean, so the reef will be smooth, but the size is tiny.
From Thursday afternoon all the way through to the 1st of October, it's a write-off. The swell stays small, under 3 ft, and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore the whole time. It gets a bit choppy, especially around the 24th and 25th of September when the wind picks up to 12 mph. The period drops from 15 seconds down to 12 seconds by the 27th of September, meaning it'll get weaker and less organized (energy dropping from 432 down to 337). Even the marginal calls turn back to "poor surf conditions." There's no standout session here. The best of a bad lot is probably that Thursday morning the 17th, but don’t get your hopes up. This is a long stretch of poor quality.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 19°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat morning, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 121 | 358 | 254 | 371 | 284 | 255 | 268 | 303 | 303 | 183 | 379 | 375 | 375 | 370 | 516 | 354 | 470 | 465 | 437 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 1:23AM0.98m | 12:23PM1.51m | 1:09PM1.41m | 2:38PM1.34m | 8:04AM1.10m | 4:32PM1.35m | 7:53AM1.16m | 5:45PM1.44m | 8:01AM1.21m | 6:34PM1.54m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 5:36AM0.78m | 8:21PM0.37m | 10:08PM0.39m | 11:39PM0.32m | 10:40AM1.07m | 00:33AM0.23m | 12:03PM0.97m | 1:10AM0.14m | 12:45PM0.84m | 1:39AM0.08m | |||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:49 | — | — | 6:46 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 51 | 358 | 254 | 371 | 284 | 255 | 268 | 162 | 144 | 116 | 379 | 375 | 375 | 370 | 516 | 354 | 470 | 465 | 437 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | W 8 | W 6 | W 5 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 12 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 |
| kJ | 121 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 116 | 162 | 153 | 303 | 303 | 20 | 17 | 24 | 22 | 26 | 57 | 44 | 39 | 38 | 24 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | W 12 | S 8 | W 4 | WNW 5 | S 7 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 83 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 25 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 183 | 114 | 82 | 73 | 57 | 6 | 58 | 56 | 55 | 51 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 150 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 2 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Big Rock Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Big Rock provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Big Rock can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Big Rock surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Big Rock) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Big Rock may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Big Rock is 11 km (7 miles) from San Diego. If you plan a vacation in San Diego County, look for hotels and other accommodation in San Diego. San Diego has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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