Surf Forecasts:
Terra Mar surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with 932 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Terra Mar this week:
The surf forecast for Terra Mar over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Terra Mar in the next 16 days are 1.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) 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+) | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Terra Mar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for the next couple of weeks.
Alright, so we’re starting with a bit of a slow patch. The first couple of days don’t offer much to get excited about, but we’ve got a long window ahead. The real story here is a building, long-period groundswell that starts to show a bit of potential from the very end of August into the first week of September. The water is running much warmer than usual for this time of year, sitting at 74°F.
Terra Mar is our only game in town, and it’s a point break that’s fairly consistent. The swell is coming from the S to SSW, which isn’t its absolute optimum (WSW is preferred), but we’ll take what we can get. The real standout happens on Thursday, September 3rd. Thursday morning has a solid 5 ft swell from the SSW, with a period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is ramping up to 899 (moderate energy) and by the afternoon it hits 1063 (strong energy). The wind is a light cross-onshore, which will keep things from being perfect, but the size and power will be there. This is the best on offer, but it’s still a bit of a grind for a beginner at that size.
Another window to watch is Tuesday, September 8th in the morning. We get a rare offshore wind from the NNE, at just 6 mph, with a 3 ft SSW swell at 14 seconds. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is a proper glassy morning, clean waves, and the combined energy is 535 (moderate). The swell is smaller, but for a beginner-friendly point, this is a much more manageable and fun size. This is the other standout.
Outside of those two windows, most of the other days are a mix of marginal surf, poor conditions, or cross-onshore winds. The week of September 5th through the 7th looks particularly poor, with the wind getting stronger and the quality dropping off. The long-period swell (15-17 seconds) is fantastic for the reef and point setup here, but it does mean long waits between sets.
So, to sum it up: if you want size and power, aim for Thursday, September 3rd. If you want clean, manageable waves with a glassy surface, get out there on Tuesday morning, September 8th. The rest of the time, you’ll be scratching for a half-decent wave.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 25°C on Tue morning, min 20°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
231 | 270 | 351 | 325 | 932 | 692 | 788 | 706 | 537 | 400 | 321 | 261 | 161 | 198 | 196 | 251 | 165 | 379 | 498 | 467 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 9:18PM2.17m | 10:17AM1.83m | 9:53PM2.09m | 10:39AM1.90m | 10:30PM1.96m | 11:04AM1.97m | 11:10PM1.79m | 11:32AM2.02m | 11:57PM1.60m | 12:06PM2.03m | 00:58AM1.39m | 12:48PM2.03m | 2:40AM1.23m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:15PM0.84m | 4:00AM0.29m | 3:51PM0.76m | 4:23AM0.38m | 4:31PM0.69m | 4:46AM0.49m | 5:13PM0.65m | 5:10AM0.64m | 6:02PM0.64m | 5:34AM0.79m | 7:03PM0.65m | 5:58AM0.95m | 8:23PM0.65m | |||||||
— | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
7:21 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 4 | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 |
Feels °C | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 17 | S 9 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 7 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
231 | 154 | 351 | 73 | 932 | 692 | 788 | 706 | 537 | 400 | 107 | 193 | 139 | 198 | 196 | 251 | 136 | 379 | 498 | 467 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SSW 18 | S 9 | SW 14 | S 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 11 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 |
132 | 270 | 79 | 147 | 33 | 47 | 46 | 107 | 146 | 85 | 321 | 261 | 161 | 86 | 88 | 80 | 165 | 133 | 175 | 278 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | W 10 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 13 | S 13 | S 13 | W 7 | SW 19 | W 5 | W 5 | W 10 | SW 18 | W 4 | — | W 4 |
81 | 116 | 85 | 325 | 33 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 35 | 84 | 171 | 56 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 2 | 111 | 6 | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 5 | W 5 | — | WNW 4 | WNW 4 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | — | — | 13 | 33 | — | 6 | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 133 | 0 | 103 | 138 | 0 | 61 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 0 | 61 | 61 | 0 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 40 | 40 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Terra Mar Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Terra Mar provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Terra Mar can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Terra Mar 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 (Terra Mar) 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 Terra Mar 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.
Terra Mar is 1 km (1 miles) from the city of Oceanside. If you plan a vacation in San Diego County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Oceanside. Oceanside has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











