
Surf Forecasts:
Terra Mar surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, SSW swell with 626 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period with SSW 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s is also forecast. 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 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 2AM. 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+) | 2AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Terra Mar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Terra Mar.
Honestly, mate, the next 16 days are a tough watch for this spot. The opening is pretty grim with no real surf on offer until things get a little interesting in the second week, but even then it’s mostly marginal. A long bout of poor conditions kicks it off.
Monday afternoon (September 7th) is a write-off. There’s 6 ft of SSW swell at 12 seconds, the kind of mix that has a decent kick to it, but it’s just messy. The wind is screaming 19 mph from the WNW, putting a nasty cross-chop on everything. The water is sitting at a very unusual 74°, a full 5° warmer than normal for this time of year. You’d be mad to paddle out.
Tuesday morning (September 8th) sees some drop in size to 4 ft from the SSW (10 seconds), but the wind is still onshore with a choppy surface. Fair call to skip it. Tuesday afternoon is much the same.
Wednesday the 9th starts tiny with 2 ft of long period SSW swell (16 seconds), and crosses onshore. The afternoon shifts to an onshore wind (6 mph from the SW), but the swell is still only 2 ft. It's almost too weak to feel.
Thursday and Friday (the 10th and 11th) offer 3 ft swells at a decent 16-17 seconds from the SW, but again the onshore and cross-onshore winds keep it from standing up properly. The energy is moderate, but the conditions just don’t line up.
So, for the first week, there’s nothing to get excited about. It’s a gap of fully flat or blown-out days.
Now, around Saturday the 12th through Sunday the 13th, the swell drops to knee-high levels (2-2 ft) with mainly onshore winds. Still not a goer.
The real standout window – if you can call it one – appears late in the forecast, around September 18th and 19th. The wind turns lighter, and we see 2-3 ft of long period SW groundswell coming in at 19 seconds. The energy around this time ticks up to moderate, with the best rated days being the 20th and 21st of September, where winds are light and onshore, but clean, and the swell holds at 3 ft to 3 ft from the SW at 17 to 19 seconds. This is where you’d want to be watching.
With the swell being long period (over 15 seconds), Terra Mar (a point break) is actually the right setup – it’ll focus that energy, although with such small heights it's gonna be slow. Best time is likely Sunday morning, September 20th with light onshore wind starting to clean up.
The crowds at Terra Mar can be a factor, so don’t be surprised to see a few others with the same idea, but given the consistency here is “fairly consistent,” a little optimism is allowed. It’s not gonna be pumping, but a clean 3 ft wave with that long period will give you something to smile about.
Stay patient, mate. As always, forecasts can change. For now, Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st look like the best shots of the whole run – even if they’re still not perfect.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 23°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Mon afternoon, calm by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 19°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | SSW 11 | 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 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
820 | 626 | 246 | 194 | 145 | 173 | 278 | 419 | 547 | 502 | 483 | 471 | 365 | 309 | 214 | 164 | 160 | 147 | 85 | 179 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross |
High Tide | 7:00PM2.24m | 8:37AM1.76m | 7:51PM2.30m | 9:05AM1.88m | 8:37PM2.28m | 9:33AM1.98m | 9:21PM2.20m | 10:01AM2.05m | 10:04PM2.06m | 10:29AM2.09m | 10:46PM1.88m | 10:56AM2.10m | 11:30PM1.68m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:07AM0.11m | 1:47PM0.90m | 2:43AM0.10m | 2:34PM0.74m | 3:16AM0.16m | 3:18PM0.61m | 3:46AM0.28m | 4:01PM0.53m | 4:14AM0.43m | 4:43PM0.49m | 4:40AM0.61m | 5:27PM0.50m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 31 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
820 | 626 | 246 | 194 | 145 | 67 | 278 | 419 | 547 | 502 | 483 | 471 | 365 | 309 | 74 | 72 | 79 | 94 | 57 | 109 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | W 4 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 19 |
58 | 9 | 207 | 154 | 135 | 135 | 119 | 82 | 72 | 16 | 27 | 43 | 43 | 51 | 214 | 164 | 160 | 147 | 85 | 179 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 8 | W 5 | W 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | S 9 | SW 19 | W 11 | SW 13 |
— | 51 | 81 | 112 | 130 | 173 | 45 | 11 | 15 | 46 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 16 | 41 | 35 | 13 | 59 | 35 | 85 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | W 4 | W 4 | WNW 4 | W 4 | W 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
21 | 16 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 61 | 40 | 40 | 44 | 0 | 40 | 102 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 1 | 103 | 108 | 39 | 103 | 61 | 1 | 39 | 263 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










