
Surf Forecasts:
Ponto surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s 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★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period with SSW 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 4s is also forecast. 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+) | 8PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
| 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. Let’s get into it.
We’re looking at a patchy run of surf over the next sixteen days, with plenty of waiting between the few moments that might actually be worth paddling out. The first real chance comes Tuesday morning, the 8th, at Ponto. It’s a driveable river mouth setup that’s exposed to the SW swell, which is exactly what’s hitting us. We’ve got a 4ft swell coming from the SSW with a 10-second period – that’s a decent mix of energy and shape, though it’s not a long-period groundswell. The combined energy reads 539 (moderate), so there’s some push behind it. The issue? The wind is cross-on from the WNW at 9 mph, so it’s a little choppy. Not ruined, but it’s not the cleanest you’ll ever see. The water is sitting at 73°, a full 5° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s notable, so you can leave the thick suit at home. This break is fairly consistent, so it’s a decent bet, but the crowds are often there, so expect company.
The next few days are a bit of a letdown. From Tuesday afternoon right through to the end of the first week, the scores are low and the conditions are mostly choppy or just weak. Wednesday morning, the 9th, has a tiny 2ft swell with a very long 16-second period – that’s a groundswell, but it’s barely got any height. The wind is onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, which does give it a glassy feel, but the wave comment is marginal. The combined energy is 375 (moderate), but it’s so small it’s hardly worth the paddle. Thursday and Friday see similar stories: 3ft with cross-on winds, all scoring poorly. Saturday morning, the 12th, drops to 2ft, and it’s a similar story. There’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations here.
Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are also flat and unappealing. The swell jumps back to 3ft on Monday, but it’s from the W with a short 8-second period – that’s windswell, and it’s messy. The combined energy is 321 (moderate), but with a cross-on wind and poor scores, it’s not worth chasing.
The standout window looks like it might come late in the second week. Friday the 18th morning has a 2ft swell from the SW with a 19-second period – that’s a very long, clean groundswell, and the wind is on from the W at 6 mph, so it’s glassy. The combined energy is 524 (moderate), but the height is small. Saturday the 19th morning is similar: 3ft from the SW, 18-second period, 506 (moderate) energy, and onshore wind. Then Sunday the 20th morning has 3ft, 18 seconds, 545 (moderate) energy, and a cross-on breeze. The best of the lot might be Monday the 21st morning: 3ft from the SW, 17-second period, 632 (moderate) energy, and light onshore wind. That’s the most promising of the whole run, but it’s still a marginal call. Keep in mind, long-period swells like these can break straight at beach breaks, but Ponto is a river mouth, so it should handle them better.
Overall, the first week is mostly a write-off with a few small windows. The second week has a few mornings that could clean up, with Monday the 21st being the pick. No standout quality here, just a few hopeful moments.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 21°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Fri morning, min 19°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | 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 | W 10 | W 8 | SW 18 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
246 | 194 | 145 | 173 | 278 | 419 | 547 | 502 | 483 | 471 | 360 | 309 | 211 | 164 | 160 | 147 | 87 | 156 | 129 | 150 | 190 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 8:37AM1.76m | 7:51PM2.29m | 9:05AM1.87m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:47PM0.90m | 2:43AM0.10m | 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 | ||||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:57 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 20 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 6 | W 8 | W 7 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 |
246 | 194 | 145 | 67 | 278 | 419 | 547 | 502 | 483 | 471 | 360 | 309 | 211 | 164 | 40 | 110 | 69 | 156 | 129 | 92 | 79 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | WSW 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 |
207 | 154 | 135 | 135 | 86 | 82 | 15 | 16 | 26 | 42 | 40 | 26 | 36 | 26 | 160 | 147 | 87 | 85 | 108 | 150 | 190 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 8 | W 5 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 9 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
81 | 112 | 130 | 173 | 45 | 11 | 72 | 46 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 41 | 35 | 31 | 59 | 58 | 129 | 84 | 78 | 38 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | — | W 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
5 | 25 | 15 | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 47 | 54 | 37 | 54 | 53 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 6 | 101 | 122 | 31 | 31 | 54 | 0 | 31 | 54 | 2 | 109 | 31 | 6 |
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.










