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El Capitan Surf Forecast
/ CAL – Santa Barbara (36 breaks) / California (404 breaks) /
Surf Forecasts:
El Capitan surfForecast / CAL – Santa Barbara / USA
48hr Weather and Surf, issued 10 pm Friday 08 May 2026 PDTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
El Capitan surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's El Capitan sea temperature is
14.3° C
(Which is normal for this time of year)How big are the waves at El Capitan today?
The current surf forecast for El Capitan at 6AM is: 1.8m 8s primary swell from a West-northwest direction and 1.4m 8s secondary swell from a West-northwest direction, 0.4m 20s secondary swell from a South-southwest direction (forecast issued at 10:00pm May 08). The wind direction is predicted to be glassy and the swell rating is 3.
| Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height | Wave Period |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (09 May) | 4.5ft (1.3m) | 8s |
| Afternoon (09 May) | 4.5ft (1.3m) | 8s |
| Evening (09 May) | 5ft (1.5m) | 8s |
Table - waves today at El Capitan. (Swell directed towards the surf break)
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fri 8 | Saturday 9 | Sunday 10 | Monday 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||
8 PM | 11 PM | 2 AM | 5 AM | 8 AM | 11 AM | 2 PM | 5 PM | 8 PM | 11 PM | 2 AM | 5 AM | 8 AM | 11 AM | 2 PM | 5 PM | 8 PM | 11 PM | 2 AM | 5 AM | 8 AM | 11 AM | 2 PM | 5 PM | |
Swell Height Map |   |    |    |    | ||||||||||||||||||||
WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | |
249 | 319 | 298 | 455 | 239 | 221 | 221 | 250 | 270 | 415 | 385 | 308 | 287 | 237 | 273 | 348 | 381 | 232 | 296 | 263 | 291 | 326 | 326 | 288 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
cross-off | off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | on | cross-on | |
High Tide | 2:44AM1.64m | 6:32PM1.56m | 4:10AM1.57m | 6:44PM1.66m | 5:31AM1.55m | |||||||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 9:33PM1.43m | 10:52AM0.56m | 11:19PM1.32m | 11:33AM0.58m | 00:23AM1.14m | 12:10PM0.61m | ||||||||||||||||||
 | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | — | — |
 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:52 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 25 | 24 | 23 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 |
 kJ | 79 | 123 | 127 | 275 | 239 | 221 | 122 | 171 | 173 | 415 | 385 | 308 | 287 | 237 | 180 | 147 | 140 | 97 | 296 | 263 | 209 | 176 | 206 | 237 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | WNW 14 | WNW 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | WNW 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | WNW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 31 | 26 | 26 | 241 | 158 | 94 | 152 | 151 | 216 | 82 | 75 | 280 | 280 | 93 | 273 | 348 | 381 | 176 | 229 | 226 | 291 | 326 | 326 | 288 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | NW 16 | SSW 20 | NW 15 | NW 15 | WNW 15 | SW 12 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | SSW 18 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | SSW 16 | S 12 | S 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
| kJ | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 64 | 131 | 58 | 55 | 84 | 6 | 80 | 75 | 101 | 178 | 121 | 169 | 145 | 232 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 11 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 249 | 319 | 298 | 455 | — | — | 221 | 250 | 270 | 270 | 217 | — | — | — | — | — | 197 | 192 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 103 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 166 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 177 | 17 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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