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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 Tuesday 05 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
14.7° C
(Which is slightly warmer than usual)How big are the waves at El Capitan today?
The current surf forecast for El Capitan at 5AM is: 0.6m 16s primary swell from a Southwest direction and 0.7m 12s secondary swell from a West-northwest direction (forecast issued at 10:00pm May 05). An open ocean swell of 0.7m 4s is not directed at the surf break. The wind direction is predicted to be offshore and the swell rating is 2.
| Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height | Wave Period |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (06 May) | 2ft (0.6m) | 16s |
| Afternoon (06 May) | 2ft (0.6m) | 14s |
| Evening (06 May) | 2ft (0.6m) | 14s |
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 Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 5 | Wednesday 6 | Thursday 7 | Friday 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 |   |    |    |    | ||||||||||||||||||||
SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SW 14 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | |
144 | 150 | 193 | 196 | 196 | 193 | 142 | 133 | 133 | 134 | 134 | 99 | 154 | 147 | 131 | 129 | 89 | 260 | 277 | 222 | 157 | 118 | 226 | 363 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
cross-off | off | off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | |
High Tide | 11:58PM1.91m | 4:55PM1.36m | 00:38AM1.82m | 1:31AM1.72m | ||||||||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 8:08AM0.47m | 5:18PM1.36m | 9:06AM0.51m | 10:03AM0.54m | ||||||||||||||||||||
 | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | |
 | — | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | — | — |
 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:49 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 24 | 26 | 25 |
10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 23 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 | SW 18 |
 kJ | 136 | 129 | 127 | 196 | 196 | 193 | 142 | 133 | 133 | 134 | 134 | 99 | 154 | 147 | 131 | 129 | 89 | 45 | 44 | 156 | 153 | 108 | 69 | 78 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SW 19 | WNW 15 | NW 14 | WNW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 19 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 144 | 150 | 193 | 125 | 94 | 93 | 79 | 77 | 59 | 42 | 52 | 73 | 99 | 99 | 97 | 95 | 32 | 53 | 36 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 77 | 43 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | WNW 5 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | WNW 16 | SW 19 | WSW 19 | NW 11 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SE 11 | SW 18 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SW 18 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 13 | WNW 17 |
| kJ | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 25 | 59 | 37 | 32 | 15 | 15 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 37 | 12 | 26 | 43 | 30 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | NW 5 | NW 4 | NW 4 | WNW 5 | — | W 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 |
| kJ | 44 | 49 | 29 | 20 | 13 | — | 13 | 19 | 69 | 83 | 106 | 77 | 53 | 66 | 82 | 124 | 226 | 260 | 277 | 222 | 157 | 118 | 226 | 363 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 326 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 329 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
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