Moonlight Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.09° N 117.32° W

Moonlight Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 21 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Moonlight Beach sea temperature is
23.6° C
4.1° 

Moonlight Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Moonlight Beach surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 21s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 19s period, SSW swell with 1,153 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period with SSW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Moonlight Beach this week:

The surf forecast for Moonlight Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Moonlight Beach in the next 16 days are 1.3m 19s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Wed 22nd Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 14s
Best Surf 5AM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 21s
Most Powerful 5PM (Mon 27th Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 19s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Moonlight Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.

First up, I gotta be straight with you: the surf window is gonna take a little while to wake up. There's a bit of a gap at the start with nothing worth paddling out for. The first real chance of a wave comes on Wednesday the 23rd, but even then, it's gonna be a struggle.

The overall pattern is a long run of marginal, onshore choppy conditions. The wind is mostly cross-onshore, which is the enemy of a clean face. The water temp is a real standout though – it's sitting at 74.5°, which is a massive 7.4° warmer than normal for this time of year. That's very unusual, you'll be surfing in a tropical bath.

Let's get into the specifics. Your best bet, and I mean the only real window of opportunity, is around Thursday the 31st of July through to Saturday the 2nd of August. The swell jumps up, with a 5.2ft to 6.6ft S swell rolling in on the 31st, carrying solid energy (1450-1691). The period is a long 15 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The wind is forecast to be light and offshore from the W, which is a major positive. That'll produce clean lines at Moonlight Beach. Now, this is an exposed beach break, so that long period will make it a bit shifty. The swell size is over 5ft, so it's a bit much for beginners, and by the 31st afternoon at 6.6ft, that's teetering on expert territory. The light offshore wind is the key here – it’ll be the best we see all outlook.

The rest of the time is pretty average. Before that window, we have a drawn-out period of small, weak swell with cross-onshore winds. The energy levels are mostly moderate, bouncing between 600 and 1200, but the quality is just not there. The 24th of July sees a 2.3ft to 2.6ft swell with a 24-second period, but it's coming with a cross-onshore wind, so it'll be a close-out mess. After the 2nd of August, the swell drops right off, and the wind stays onshore, leaving us with weak, poor surf conditions. The energy plummets to 146-309, and the period drops to 12 seconds, making for short, weak waves.

If you're waiting for the best of the run, keep your eyes on the 31st of July. That's the standout. The 5.2ft to 6.6ft S swell with light offshore winds is the only time the stars align. It's a full week away, so it's a promising forecast, but we'll see how it holds.

That's the story. See you in the water.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu morning, min 21°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 21°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tue
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
0
1
3
2
1
2
1
0
2
2
1
4
2
1
2
2
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
SSW
15
1.1
SSW
15
1
SSW
14
1
SSW
14
1
SSW
14
1.2
S
13
1.1
S
13
1.1
S
13
0.7
SW
24
0.8
S
11
0.9
SW
21
0.9
SSW
21
0.9
SW
21
1.2
SSW
19
1.1
SW
19
1.1
SW
18
1.1
SW
18
1.3
SSW
18
1.3
SSW
19
1.2
SSW
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
474
551
437
394
389
461
408
408
563
166
664
799
628
1004
863
735
719
1056
1153
780
Wind (km/h)
20
W
10
NW
20
WNW
15
WNW
5
SW
10
WSW
15
W
5
SW
15
SW
15
SW
5
SW
10
WSW
15
SW
0
WSW
15
SW
15
SW
10
S
15
SW
10
SW
5
SSW
Wind State
on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
3:53PM1.88m
5:50AM1.24m
4:47PM1.90m
7:36AM1.30m
5:41PM1.94m
8:29AM1.38m
6:30PM2.00m
9:02AM1.44m
7:14PM2.07m
9:28AM1.49m
7:53PM2.15m
9:53AM1.52m
8:29PM2.22m
Low Tide
11:35PM0.77m
9:32AM1.13m
00:42AM0.64m
10:46AM1.22m
1:31AM0.51m
12:00PM1.25m
2:10AM0.40m
12:56PM1.23m
2:45AM0.31m
1:39PM1.18m
3:16AM0.24m
2:17PM1.12m
3:47AM0.20m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:54
5:56
5:56
5:56
5:58
5:58
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:55
7:54
7:54
7:53
7:52
7:52
7:52
 mm
Temp °C
25
23
23
23
21
26
26
23
25
25
22
25
25
22
24
25
22
24
25
22
Feels °C
24
23
23
23
22
27
26
25
26
25
23
26
25
23
25
25
23
24
25
23
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  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Moonlight Beach Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Moonlight Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Moonlight Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Moonlight Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Moonlight Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Moonlight Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Moonlight Beach is 6 km (4 miles) from the city of Encinitas. If you plan a vacation in San Diego County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Encinitas. Encinitas has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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