Surf Forecasts:
Cardiff Reef surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,569 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 18s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cardiff Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Cardiff Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cardiff Reef in the next 16 days are 2.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 14s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cardiff Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming down the line for Cardiff Reef.
First off, the water is running *much* warmer than usual for this time of year – we’re talking a solid 7° above average at 76°, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home. It’s a weird one.
The pattern starts off a bit flat and messy. The first few days are a write-off, honestly. Thursday the 3rd is a non-starter with poor conditions, and Friday the 4th is only marginal. Saturday the 5th morning is a 2/10 at best – you’d be paddling for scraps. Then Sunday the 6th is totally flat, with barely a ripple. So we’ve got a real gap of almost no surf worth talking about from Thursday through to Sunday.
Now, things get interesting as we head into the new week. The standout window is Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th. We’ve got a proper push of SSW groundswell arriving. Monday morning sees 7ft of swell with a 14-second period, and the energy is pumping – a solid 1500 (moderate to strong) on the combined scale. The wind is onshore from the WNW at 9 mph, which is not perfect, but it’s manageable. This is the biggest, most powerful swell of the whole 16-day run. It’s definitely in the expert-only territory though, over 7ft, so only the experienced crew should be out there. Tuesday drops slightly to 6ft, still with a decent 13-second period and strong energy (1172).
The long period from the SSW tends to make waves break a bit more straight at beach breaks, but Cardiff Reef being a reef setup, it should handle that energy well and offer some proper lines. Shame about the onshore wind, but it’s not a howling gale.
After that, it settles back down. From Wednesday the 9th onwards, we’re looking at marginal, smaller surf. The 9th and 10th have some waist-high options with light winds, but nothing to get excited about. The second week, from the 12th onward, it’s pretty flat again, with small 1ft to 3ft pulses and mostly poor conditions. That big Monday swell is your one true highlight.
So, bottom line: if you’re an expert and can handle some size, Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are your best shots. For the rest, it’s a waiting game. The forecast can always change, but right now, that’s the window.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat morning, min 19°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 25°C on Mon morning, min 22°C on Sun afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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 15 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 239 | 455 | 651 | 587 | 717 | 612 | 512 | 739 | 871 | 48 | 39 | 596 | 1483 | 1377 | 1094 | 825 | 787 | 451 | 258 | 278 | 419 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 1:47PM1.99m | 6:09AM1.25m | 3:12PM1.98m | 7:12AM1.38m | 4:45PM2.04m | 7:40AM1.51m | 6:00PM2.14m | 8:08AM1.64m | 7:00PM2.24m | 8:36AM1.76m | 7:50PM2.29m | 9:04AM1.87m | 8:37PM2.28m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:06PM0.60m | 6:57AM1.24m | 11:36PM0.46m | 10:00AM1.32m | 00:39AM0.30m | 11:49AM1.23m | 1:26AM0.18m | 12:55PM1.08m | 2:06AM0.11m | 1:47PM0.90m | 2:42AM0.11m | 2:33PM0.74m | 3:15AM0.17m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:08 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 17 |
| kJ | 47 | 455 | 651 | 587 | 717 | 612 | 545 | 511 | 871 | 1572 | 1322 | 584 | 1483 | 1377 | 1094 | 825 | 787 | 451 | 258 | 168 | 419 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | W 6 | W 6 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | S 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | SSW 15 | W 6 | WSW 10 | WNW 5 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | W 6 | SW 16 | SW 10 |
| kJ | 138 | 55 | 31 | 24 | 210 | 265 | 512 | 739 | 572 | 48 | 39 | 596 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 111 | 81 | 211 | 22 | 278 | 110 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 12 | S 10 | SW 10 | SW 20 | W 12 | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 10 | SSW 21 | SW 21 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | W 6 | S 12 |
| kJ | 239 | 72 | 61 | 79 | 50 | 60 | 47 | 49 | 28 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 44 | 18 | 35 | 214 | 24 | 72 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | — | W 6 | — | W 6 | W 5 | WNW 5 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 31 | — | — | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 11 | — | 17 | — | 16 | 13 | 25 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 44 | 44 | 0 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 44 | 21 | 11 | 0 | 44 | 27 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 8 | 44 | 43 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Cardiff Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cardiff Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cardiff Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cardiff Reef 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 (Cardiff Reef) 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 Cardiff Reef 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.
Cardiff Reef is 3 km (2 miles) from the city of Encinitas. If you plan a vacation in San Diego County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Encinitas. Encinitas has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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