North Torrey Pines Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s on the horizon for the San Diego area. Let’s be straight up: it’s a quiet stretch ahead. We’re looking at a gap of several days with nothing worth getting excited about before things even start to look a little better.

We’ve got one break on the radar here: North Torrey Pines. The water’s sitting at a very warm 76°F right now, which is 8°F above where it should be for this time of year – that’s pretty unusual and feels great.

For the first few days, starting Sunday the 9th, it’s a slow go. The swell is tiny – down around 2 ft to 3 ft – coming from the SSW with a long period around 15 to 20 seconds. That kind of period is more of a point break or reef swell, and at a beach break like Torrey it'll be straight and tricky. The wind is light and mostly offshore, but the wave energy is weak (around 349), and conditions are being called poor. There’s just not enough push.

This quiet spell drags on through the middle of the week. By Thursday the 13th, we get a bit more cross-onshore breeze, turning things a little choppy. It’s still not worth paddling out for.

The first hint of something comes around Friday the 14th and into the weekend of the 15th. Swell bumps up to 3 ft to 4 ft from the SSW, with periods still on the longer side of 16-18 seconds. The wind stays offshore, which is a major positive for cleanness. The combined energy starts to climb into the moderate range, hitting 599 on Friday morning and peaking at 775 Friday afternoon. That’s the best we’ve seen, but even then, the forecast is still only calling it marginal due to tide or conditions. It’s not a stand-out, just the least-worst of a slow run.

From Monday the 17th onward, it drops back off again. Swell dips to under 3 ft, and by the 20th we’re seeing cross-onshore wind again. There’s a brief pulse on Wednesday the 19th with energy around 517, but the wind is up and swelly, keeping things choppy. The end of the window into the 24th sees more tiny 1 ft to 2 ft swells, mostly from the SW, and though the wind stays light and offshore, the energy is too weak to do anything with.

So bottom line, San Diego: there’s no standout session here. The best chance, if you’re desperate, is around Friday the 14th to Saturday the 15th, when the offshore wind and a bit of size might give you a few clean, long-period lines. But keep the expectations low. It’s a waiting game.

Stay patient.
Rusty.

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