
Surf Forecasts:
Ponto surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 560 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Ponto this week:
The surf forecast for Ponto over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ponto in the next 16 days are 1.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ponto over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, staring down the long-range charts for Ponto. Let's be honest from the get-go: this is a patience game. The first proper surfable waves don't show up for a while, with a few quiet days to start.
We kick things off properly on Wednesday afternoon, September 9th. The water's sitting at a lovely 72°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice little bonus as you paddle out. The wait is for a 2ft groundswell out of the southwest, ticking along with a very long 16-second period. The energy reading is a moderate 442, so there's some push behind it, but it's small and clean as the wind goes offshore, light, from the west at just 3 mph. It's a river break, so that long-period stuff can sometimes run a bit too straight, but with these tiny conditions, it'll be a fun little wave for the beginners they say this spot suits.
Honestly, the rest of the first week is a bit of a grind. Thursday the 10th through Sunday the 13th is mostly 1ft to 3ft, but the wind keeps swinging around to a cross-onshore SSW breeze at 9 mph, messing up the surface. The scores reflect it – it’s poor or marginal at best. You’ll see a few pulses of energy reaching over 600 (moderate wave energy) on Thursday, but the chop is just too much for it to be worth a paddle.
There's a bit of a lull in quality mid-week, but the real hope starts flickering around Wednesday, September 16th. The morning window shows a cleaner 3ft SSW swell, with a 17-second period and a solid 521 energy reading. The wind is light from the west at 6 mph, and while the file calls it 'marginal', that's the best we've seen, with a couple of points on the board. The following few days (Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th) see the swell bounce between 2ft and 3ft, but the energy stays respectable, peaking back up near 587. The wind looks to stay light and variable from the west, which is a big plus.
Now, if you've got some patience, the real standout window looks like it's shaping up about a week and a half from now. Sunday, September 20th through Monday, September 21st is the pick of the entire run. We're looking at a consistent 3ft southwest groundswell, with a period of 17-18 seconds. The energy numbers climb to a very solid 686 (moderate wave energy) on Sunday afternoon, and it stays in the 575-618 range through Monday. The wind is forecast to be light, 6 mph from the southwest and west, keeping it clean. This is the only real promise of clean, consistent, long-period swell in the entire outlook. For a river break like Ponto, this is your moment.
After that, the last week of the run fades back into the same poor-to-marginal pattern we saw at the start: small 2ft to 3ft swells with light but often cross-onshore winds. It’s not going to be a classic fortnight of waves, but that Sunday/Monday window a couple weeks out is the one to circle on the calendar.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat afternoon, min 19°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
278 | 419 | 547 | 502 | 483 | 471 | 365 | 309 | 248 | 164 | 160 | 147 | 87 | 129 | 108 | 150 | 190 | 161 | 127 | 114 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:37PM2.28m | 9:33AM1.98m | 9:21PM2.20m | 10:01AM2.05m | 10:03PM2.06m | 10:28AM2.09m | 10:46PM1.88m | 10:56AM2.09m | 11:29PM1.68m | 11:24AM2.06m | 00:18AM1.49m | 11:53AM1.99m | 1:22AM1.32m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:34PM0.74m | 3:15AM0.16m | 3:17PM0.61m | 3:46AM0.28m | 4:00PM0.53m | 4:14AM0.43m | 4:43PM0.49m | 4:40AM0.61m | 5:27PM0.50m | 5:04AM0.79m | 6:13PM0.56m | 5:24AM0.96m | 7:08PM0.64m | |||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
7:04 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 30 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
278 | 419 | 547 | 502 | 483 | 471 | 365 | 309 | 248 | 164 | 39 | 85 | 67 | 51 | 60 | 33 | 190 | 161 | 122 | 88 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 6 | W 6 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 |
119 | 82 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 42 | 29 | 24 | 32 | 23 | 160 | 147 | 87 | 85 | 108 | 150 | 18 | 10 | 127 | 114 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 9 | SSW 15 |
45 | 23 | 72 | 46 | 39 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 31 | 30 | 25 | 12 | 58 | 129 | 66 | 40 | 38 | 37 | 24 | 73 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 47 | 2 | 31 | 31 | 6 | 101 | 185 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 0 | 31 | 103 | 6 | 122 | 103 | 0 | 109 | 54 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Ponto Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Ponto provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Ponto can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Ponto 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 (Ponto) 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 Ponto 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.
Ponto is 2 km (1 miles) from the city of Carlsbad. If you plan a vacation in San Diego County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Carlsbad. Carlsbad has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










