Surf Forecasts:
Moonlight Beach surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with 932 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period with S 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 15s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Moonlight Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty slim for any real waves at Moonlight Beach. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak surf ahead, so temper those expectations.
The first few days are a write-off. Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are barely showing anything, with just small, short-period swell and cross-onshore winds making a mess of things. We're talking ankle-biters in the 2.3ft to 3.9ft range, with wave energy struggling to get over 600. It’s not going to be worth the paddle. We then roll into a weekend with some slightly better energy, but the swell is still only around 3.6ft to 3.9ft, and winds remain onshore, keeping things a bit lumpy. The water temp is running about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
There is a bit of a pulse on the 3rd of September, with the swell pushing up to 6.9ft from the SSW. That’s a notable jump in size and energy (up to 1582), but it’s onshore and junky. For a beach break like this, that combo usually means a lot of closeouts and chop. If you’re an expert, you might find something, but it’s not what I’d call a good day. After that, things back off again into the 3.9ft range for a few days.
The one real standout in this entire 16-day window is the morning of Sunday, the 6th of September. The wind drops out completely, the forecast is for glassy conditions, and we’ve got a clean, 3.3ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a 15-second period. It’s not big, but that energy will be clean and organized. This is a proper long-period groundswell, which can be a bit straight at a beach break like this, but with the surface like a lake, it’ll be the best chance for a fun, clean session.
Beyond that, the second week looks pretty lackluster. Small swells, persistent onshore flow, and generally messy conditions. We do see another pulse of energy around the 8th, but with a long 18-19 second period and only 2ft of swell, it’s not bringing much to the table. The rest of the week is small, with winds keeping things average at best. It’s one of those stretches where being a local means knowing when to sit it out.
So, in short: keep your board waxed for that Sunday morning session on the 6th. That’s your window.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Sun morning, min 18°C on Tue afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 305 | 389 | 274 | 270 | 274 | 470 | 932 | 667 | 733 | 697 | 537 | 400 | 325 | 257 | 356 | 373 | 361 | 363 | 390 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 8:44PM2.20m | 9:55AM1.75m | 9:18PM2.17m | 10:16AM1.83m | 9:53PM2.09m | 10:39AM1.90m | 10:30PM1.96m | 11:04AM1.97m | 11:10PM1.79m | 11:32AM2.01m | 11:57PM1.60m | 12:06PM2.03m | 00:57AM1.39m | ||||||
Low Tide | 3:36AM0.25m | 3:15PM0.84m | 4:00AM0.29m | 3:51PM0.76m | 4:23AM0.38m | 4:30PM0.69m | 4:46AM0.50m | 5:13PM0.65m | 5:10AM0.64m | 6:02PM0.64m | 5:33AM0.79m | 7:03PM0.65m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | |
 | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:14 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 10 | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 21 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | WNW 9 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | W 8 | W 8 | SSW 14 | W 7 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 12 |
| kJ | 305 | 389 | 274 | 151 | 110 | 470 | 932 | 667 | 733 | 201 | 168 | 400 | 106 | 255 | 356 | 373 | 361 | 363 | 390 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 18 | S 9 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | W 7 | SSW 14 | WNW 7 | SSW 13 | W 5 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 171 | 169 | 132 | 270 | 78 | 49 | 43 | 112 | 115 | 697 | 537 | 100 | 325 | 77 | 158 | 21 | 44 | 80 | 111 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 8 | SW 14 | SW 16 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 12 | S 9 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 18 | W 10 | WNW 4 |
| kJ | 14 | 23 | 21 | 153 | 274 | 71 | 33 | 20 | 36 | 14 | 89 | 77 | 110 | 257 | 55 | 87 | 50 | 2 | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 4 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | 16 | 19 | 9 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 25 | 25 | 94 | 1 | 47 | 47 | 1 | 276 | 182 | 7 | 47 | 46 | 1 | 47 | 46 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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