North Torrey Pines Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. It’s looking pretty flat and quiet for the next couple of weeks, so if you’re jonesing for a wave, you’re going to need some patience. The good news is the water’s comfortable, and there’s a real pulse of energy showing up way down the line, even if it’s a long way off.

The immediate stretch is grim. From today right through the weekend and into next week, we’ve got ankle-biters at best. It’s not even worth paddling out for most of it. There are a few small bumps here and there, but the reports just keep coming back as poor or marginal. The wind is mostly offshore, which is nice for keeping things clean, but with swell heights hovering around 1.5ft to 3ft and short, weak periods, you’re just bobbing around. The wave energy is pretty weak, with readings mostly in the low to mid hundreds, though Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th have a bit more push, up to 741. But it’s still messy and small.

Honestly, the first real day where you might get a couple of fun ones is Saturday the 23rd. It’s not going to change the world, but there’s a touch more west in the swell, and it’s still small. But even then, it’s marginal.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. If you can wait, and I mean *really* wait, there’s a proper pulse of southwest swell lining up for the end of the month. This is the one to circle on the calendar. We’re looking at Thursday the 28th and Friday the 29th. The models are showing a solid jump in size, with the swell hitting 7.8ft on Friday morning. That’s a proper wave again. The period is a bit short, around 13-14 seconds, but there’s a ton of energy behind it, with readings jumping into the 1500s and even over 2000 on the Friday. The wind is looking light, which is a huge plus.

However, and this is a big however, that size at North Torrey Pines is going to be a problem. This break is a beginner-friendly sandbar, and once it gets over 5ft, it’s already pushing it for the less experienced. At 8ft, it’s going to be too big and unruly for the usual crew here. It’s going to wall up and close out. The report even says so itself – it’s just too big for this break. So, while it’s a sign of life in the ocean, it’s not the spot for it. If you’re an expert, you might find some heavy, shifty peaks, but for most of us, it’s a pass.

A smaller, more manageable pulse shows up on the 29th as it starts to drop, with 5.5ft and 11-second period. But that’s still a solid step up from this week and will have some punch to it.

So that’s the long and short of it. This is a waiting game. Don’t waste your energy on this week. Keep the board in the car for the end of the month, but maybe look for a more protected spot when that big swell arrives. Keep it salty.

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