El Capitan Surf Forecast

/ CAL – Santa Barbara (36 breaks) / California (404 breaks) /

USA (1297 breaks) / Lat Long: (34.46° N 120.02° W)

Surf Forecasts:

El Capitan surfForecast / CAL – Santa Barbara / USA

48hr Weather and Surf, issued 4 pm Thursday 18 Sep 2025 PDT

Forecast 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 20.0° C
(Which is 2.8°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 6PM is: 0.7m 14s primary swell from a South-southwest direction and 0.7m 9s secondary swell from a West-northwest direction (forecast issued at 04:00pm September 18). The wind direction is predicted to be glassy and the swell rating is 2.

Time (PDT) & Date	Wave Height	Wave Period
Morning (18 Sep)	-	-
Afternoon (18 Sep)	2.5ft (0.7m)	14s
Evening (18 Sep)	2.5ft (0.8m)	14s

Table - waves today at El Capitan. (Swell directed towards the surf break)

Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent

12 Days Hourly

Print Table

	Thursday 18				Friday 19								Saturday 20								Sunday 21
	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	8 PM	11 PM	2 AM	5 AM	8 AM	11 AM
Rating (10 max)	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	2	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	0
Swell Height Map See all maps
Wave Height (m) & direction (?)	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	WNW	WNW	WNW	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
Period(s) (?)	14	14	14	16	10	10	10	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12	12
Wave Graph (?)
kJ (?)	215	210	254	236	160	160	160	134	134	146	144	150	148	142	123	125	82	83	84	83	83	82	74	72
Wind (km/h)	ESE	W	ENE	S	SSE	SE	SSE	S	SSW	WSW	NW	NNW	NNW	NNW	NW	SW	SW	W	NNW	NNW	NNW	NNW	NNW	SW
Wind State (?) onshore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore offshore glassy	glass	glass	glass	glass	glass	glass	glass	on	cross- on	cross	cross- off	glass	glass	glass	glass	cross- on	cross- on	cross	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	off	glass	cross- on
High Tide / height (m)				8:11PM 2.06				9:26AM 1.76				8:54PM 2.03				9:49AM 1.83				9:34PM 1.97				10:11AM 1.88
Low Tide / height (m)		2:14PM 0.95				3:01AM 0.26				2:55PM 0.83				3:30AM 0.34				3:34PM 0.72				3:57AM 0.45

	Thursday 18				Friday 19								Saturday 20								Sunday 21
Sunrise	-	-	-	-	-	-	6:45	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6:46	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6:47	-
Sunset	-	7:02	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7:00	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7:00	-	-	-	-	-	-

Rain (mm)	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Temp. °C	21	22	21	20	20	20	20	23	24	23	22	21	20	20	21	26	27	26	21	19	18	18	20	25
Feels °C (?)	23	23	24	22	23	22	22	24	25	24	23	23	21	22	23	27	27	26	20	18	17	18	20	26

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Recent Eyeball Surf Reports for CAL - Santa Barbara

Wind Update Still cross-shore at El Capitan (light winds from the W at East Santa Barbara Buoy 29 km from El Capitan). 0.6m 9s swell from the WNW with a 0.4m 13s groundswell from the WSW and a 0.3m 14s groundswell from the SSW. 3 swells combining to make bigger set waves.
1 hour 0 minutes ago El Capitan

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29 km away, 1 h 0 min ago

14 km/h

0.0

20.0

Air / Water (°C)

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