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JD Arendt From inside the wave, Imperial Beach

Imperial Beach

Slip Slidin' Away, Imperial Beach

Imperial Beach

Imperial Beach ratings
Quality on a good day: 3.6
Consistency of Surf: 3.9
Difficulty Level: 3.2
Wind and Kite Surfing: 3.8
Crowds: 3.9

…

Overall: 3.7

See all 18 ratings

Based on 9 votes. Vote


Surf Report Feed

Imperial Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(San Diego County, USA)

Imperial Beach break guidePhoto by: Carol Gavan

Imperial Beach Surf Guide

Imperial Beach in San Diego County is an exposed beach break that has consistent surf. Winter is the favoured time of year for surfing here. Works best in offshore winds from the east. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the southwest. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights. Unlikely to be too crowded, even when the surf is up. Hazards include rips and pollution.

Imperial Beach Spot Info

Type:Rating:
Icon beach redBeachIcon s43.7
Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
consistent
16.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Imperial Beach:

The best conditions reported for surf at Imperial Beach occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East.

Surf Forecasts:

What's the best time of year to surf Imperial Beach (for consistent clean waves)?

octoberBest Season: autumn
The best time of year for surfing Imperial Beach with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Autumn and most often the month of October. Clean surfable waves are typically found 34% of the time in October while 60% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 6% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
34%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
60%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
6%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Imperial Beach Location Map

Interactive Imperial Beach surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Imperial Beach is North Island Nas (San Diego) Airport (NZY) in USA, 15 km (9 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Imperial Beach is General Abelardo L Rodriguez International (Tijuana) Airport (TIJ) in Mexico, 16 km (10 miles) away.

Icon breakBreak
Icon legend buoysLive Wave Height (m)
Icon legend windLive Wind Speed (km/h)
Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Imperial Beach Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 20 April 2021, 03:25 Local Time
Tuesday 20
2AM5AM8AM11AM
Wave (m) 0.7
SW 		0.8
SW 		0.7
SW 		0.6
SW
Period (s) 19 19 19 20
Wind (km/h) 5 W 5 WSW 10 SW 15 SW
Wind State on on cross-
on		 cross-
on

What does Imperial Beach look like?

Latest photos from Imperial Beach. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

  • JD Arendt From inside the wave, Imperial BeachCredit: Carol Gavan
  • Imperial Beach PeirCredit: Jeannette Shambaugh
  • Imperial Beach
  • Slip Slidin' Away, Imperial BeachCredit: Rick Click Photography
  • Early Bird Sesh. North side Peir, Imperial BeachCredit: Kevin Kingsbury
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    Tides at Imperial Beach

    Current tide and informaton
    For Imperial Beach, California, 1.0 km from Imperial Beach.
    Next High Water: 07:05pm | 1.05m
    Tidal range ClockIcon tide needleIcon tide star
    Next Low Water: 11:27am | 0.11m
    IS AT (local time)

    Imperial Beach Sea Temperature

    The water temperature (16.7 °C) at Imperial Beach is quite cool. If the sun shines as we have forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good spring wetsuit. Effective windchill factor of (15.0 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.

    Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.
    Current Temp*: 16.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite
    Icon wetsuit spring
    water-temp
    California Sea TemperatureView Sea Temp Map

    Swell History at Imperial Beach

    Surf stats for Imperial Beach, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

    Imperial Beach Location Map
    Average Swell
    Imperial beach.surf.statistics.aprilSw.animated
    View Swell Statistics

    Wind History at Imperial Beach

    Wind stats for Imperial Beach, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

    Imperial Beach Location Map
    Average Wind
    Imperial beach.wind.statistics.aprilSw.animated
    View Wind Statistics

    Imperial Beach Reviews:

    Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.

    Ratings
    Based on 9 votes.
    • Overall:Icon s43.7
    • Quality on a good day:Icon s43.6
    • Consistency of Surf:Icon s43.9
    • Difficulty Level:Icon s33.2
    • Wind and Kite Surfing:Icon s43.8
    • Crowds:Icon s43.9
    • ...

    See all 18 ratings

    Review
    Impartial reviews submitted by Surf-Forecast users.
    Icon avatar
    KristinaB from United States
    “I love IB! I was raised here, and it is a great place to live, work, and play. It has a small town vibe and everyone knows each other. The atmosphere is laid back and chilled. Imperial Beach is not a crowded beach, except for once a year during Sand Castles. Sand Castles is a competition held each year during July. It brings in hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and lasts for 3 days. If you love the ocean, love community, and like to live a relaxed lifestyle, IB is for you. The water's great, come on in! There is no place like this little jewel in the most southwest point of the United States. Few people live here, less than 50,000, and the weather is perfect. The locals are friendly, so come on out!”

    Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:

    Discover surf breaks near Imperial Beach. Click below to view there surf guides.

    Wave Buoys Nearest To Imperial Beach:

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