Surf Forecasts:
Moonlight Beach surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 553 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 17s period with SW 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 Monday (Sep 14) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Moonlight Beach in the next 16 days are 1.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Moonlight Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's break down what's happening on the water for the next couple of weeks. It's going to be a slow start, but there might be a payoff if you can hold out.
The first week and a half is pretty grim. Water temp at Moonlight Beach is 74°F, which is feeling much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least the water is comfortable. The surf, though, is tiny. From Monday the 14th through Tuesday the 22nd, the swell is puny, mostly 2ft to 3ft out of the W or SW. The wind is the real killer—a light cross-onshore or onshore breeze that's just enough to keep things choppy and messy. The wave energy readings are all over the map, but the quality is consistently poor or marginal. You're looking at a solid 8-day stretch where there's hardly anything worth paddling out for. A real dry spell.
Things finally start to stir around Saturday the 21st. The swell bumps up to 3-4ft from the SW with a period of 17 seconds. That's a nice, long groundswell. The wave energy climbs to 716 (moderate wave energy) by the afternoon. The wind is still light and cross-on, but it's not a complete washout. It's the first sign of life, but not yet a standout.
The one to keep your eye on is Tuesday the 29th. Tuesday morning shows a clean 2ft swell from the SW with a very long period of 18 seconds. That's proper long-period energy. The wave energy is at 523 (moderate wave energy). The real beauty is the wind: a light cross-onshore at 6 mph. It's going to be glassy and clean. For Moonlight Beach, a exposed beach break, a swell this long can make the waves a bit too straight, but if the banks are right, you could get some long, clean walls. The water is still much warmer than normal. This is the best shot of the whole outlook, but since it's over a week away, take it as promising but not a lock. It's not for beginners due to the energy, but for the experienced crew, Tuesday the 29th is the session to wait for.
So, a long wait for a couple of flashes. It doesn't stay flat forever.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon morning, min 18°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri morning, min 18°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 149 | 192 | 188 | 163 | 157 | 157 | 475 | 339 | 291 | 284 | 246 | 242 | 303 | 303 | 299 | 379 | 375 | 375 | 522 | 522 | 499 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 11:24AM2.06m | 00:18AM1.49m | 11:53AM1.99m | 1:22AM1.32m | 12:27PM1.89m | 3:51AM1.22m | 1:13PM1.79m | 2:35PM1.72m | 8:13AM1.44m | 4:22PM1.72m | 7:53AM1.50m | 5:36PM1.80m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 6:13PM0.56m | 5:24AM0.96m | 7:08PM0.64m | 5:36AM1.11m | 8:22PM0.72m | 5:03AM1.22m | 10:05PM0.73m | 11:35PM0.67m | 10:11AM1.43m | 00:29AM0.57m | 11:54AM1.34m | 1:06AM0.48m | |||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:49 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | W 6 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 7 | W 7 |
| kJ | 149 | 151 | 99 | 74 | 79 | 50 | 475 | 339 | 291 | 284 | 246 | 242 | 303 | 303 | 41 | 379 | 375 | 375 | 522 | 74 | 107 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 7 | W 6 | SW 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | SW 18 | SW 17 |
| kJ | 108 | 192 | 188 | 163 | 157 | 157 | 22 | 11 | 85 | 68 | 69 | 80 | 180 | 141 | 184 | 34 | 24 | 37 | 74 | 522 | 499 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 9 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 21 | W 5 | S 8 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
| kJ | 84 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 127 | 110 | 25 | 24 | 29 | 160 | 160 | 212 | 15 | 12 | 299 | 137 | 93 | 57 | 56 | 76 | 77 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 3 | WNW 3 | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 25 | 25 | 13 | 25 | 128 | 1 | 47 | 47 | 1 | 46 | 46 | 1 | 47 | 47 | 1 | 47 | 47 | 1 | 47 | 47 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Moonlight Beach surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest