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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 Sunday 26 Apr 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
15.1° C
(Which is 1.4°C warmer than normal for this time of year)How big are the waves at El Capitan today?
The current surf forecast for El Capitan at 5AM is: 0.6m 14s primary swell from a West-northwest direction and 0.5m 5s secondary swell from a West direction (forecast issued at 10:00pm April 26). An open ocean swell of 0.2m 2s is not directed at the surf break. The wind direction is predicted to be offshore.
| Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height | Wave Period |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (27 Apr) | 2.5ft (0.7m) | 14s |
| Afternoon (27 Apr) | 2ft (0.6m) | 13s |
| Evening (27 Apr) | 2ft (0.6m) | 13s |
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 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sun 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 15 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | NW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SW 16 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SW 15 | |
92 | 123 | 163 | 163 | 183 | 180 | 118 | 85 | 114 | 114 | 96 | 95 | 89 | 85 | 57 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 64 | 54 | 53 | 55 | 54 | 50 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | |
High Tide | 7:50PM1.88m | 7:40AM1.71m | 8:16PM1.96m | 8:33AM1.68m | 8:41PM2.03m | 9:21AM1.64m | ||||||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 1:55AM0.79m | 1:49PM0.56m | 2:38AM0.62m | 2:20PM0.67m | 3:17AM0.48m | 2:49PM0.79m | ||||||||||||||||||
 | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | — | — |
 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:42 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 17 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 15 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | NW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 5 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 |
 kJ | 92 | 123 | 163 | 163 | 183 | 180 | 118 | 85 | 114 | 114 | 96 | 95 | 89 | 17 | 57 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 54 | 53 | 55 | 54 | 50 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | W 5 | W 5 | W 5 | S 13 | S 13 | W 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | WNW 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 45 | 45 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 42 | 44 | 85 | 44 | 25 | 25 | 40 | 64 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 36 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 13 | SW 15 | S 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 12 | S 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 15 | S 15 | S 11 |
| kJ | 58 | 34 | 45 | 51 | 30 | 9 | 21 | 21 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 44 | 46 | 41 | 41 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 42 | 38 | 21 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | W 5 | WNW 5 | NNW 2 | W 5 | W 5 | W 3 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | NW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 5 | W 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 |
| kJ | 17 | 16 | 25 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 26 | 31 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 30 | 14 | 23 | 48 | 40 | 22 | 40 | 46 | 45 | 48 | 44 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 329 | 326 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 328 | 329 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 166 | 329 | 99 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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