Surf Forecasts:
Seaside Reef surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SW swell with 330 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Seaside Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Seaside Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Seaside Reef in the next 16 days are 0.8m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) 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+) | 5AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Seaside Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Lookin' out over the next couple of weeks for Seaside Reef, and I won't lie to ya – it's a dry spell. This reef is a tricky one, and we got a long stretch of nothing special before anything even looks rideable.
The first real chance at a wave don't come until Thursday, August 28th. That morning, we got a 3ft SSW swell pushing in with a real long 19-second period – that's some proper groundswell energy for a reef setup. The wind is a light cross-onshore breeze, so it'll be a bit textured but still doable. Water temp is about average for the season. This is the standout window, but remember, this is an advanced reef break that's inconsistent, so you'll be sitting out there waiting.
Then on Saturday, August 29th, we see the biggest swell of the run. The afternoon brings a 4ft SSW swell, dropping to a 16-second period. The energy is solid, but we got a light onshore wind. It's not clean, but if you're an expert and you're desperate, that's your window.
Everything else is a bust. Most of the days have onshore or cross-onshore wind with small, weak swell. The wind and waves are just messy. Honestly, for the majority of this 16-day stretch, the setup looks way better for a kite than a surfboard.
To put it simply: the best shot is the morning of Thursday, August 28th, for that long-period groundswell. It's not perfect, but it's the only real chance we got. The rest is a long wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat morning, min 20°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun morning, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 246 | 239 | 236 | 170 | 156 | 137 | 98 | 90 | 239 | 222 | 224 | 197 | 273 | 194 | 177 | 330 | 264 | 208 | 203 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | on |
High Tide | 3:46PM1.79m | 8:25AM1.36m | 5:06PM1.82m | 8:27AM1.43m | 6:08PM1.91m | 8:41AM1.49m | 6:55PM2.01m | 8:57AM1.55m | 7:34PM2.10m | 9:15AM1.61m | 8:10PM2.17m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:58PM0.76m | 00:18AM0.65m | 10:08AM1.35m | 1:09AM0.54m | 11:57AM1.32m | 1:47AM0.43m | 12:51PM1.24m | 2:18AM0.34m | 1:30PM1.14m | 2:45AM0.28m | 2:05PM1.04m | 3:11AM0.24m | |||||||
 |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 23 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | W 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SW 17 | W 6 | WNW 6 | SW 16 | W 6 |
| kJ | 46 | 239 | 236 | 170 | 156 | 137 | 98 | 43 | 239 | 222 | 57 | 135 | 273 | 51 | 177 | 78 | 70 | 208 | 97 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | W 6 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 13 |
| kJ | 246 | 38 | 28 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 11 | 90 | 29 | 27 | 98 | 197 | 30 | 194 | 93 | 330 | 264 | 87 | 168 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 19 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 16 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | S 15 | S 13 | S 13 | S 10 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 12 | 57 | 16 | 28 | 81 | 51 | 77 | 83 | 57 | 58 | 224 | 45 | 255 | 87 | 38 | 126 | 126 | 8 | 203 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | WNW 6 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | — | — | 51 | — | — | 95 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 42 | 42 | 1 | 116 | 42 | 0 | 42 | 41 | 0 | 42 | 41 | 0 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 41 | 41 | 41 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Seaside Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Seaside Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Seaside Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Seaside Reef 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 (Seaside Reef) 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 Seaside Reef 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.
Seaside Reef is 1 km (1 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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