Terra Mar Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.20° N 117.39° W

Terra Mar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Terra Mar sea temperature is
22.2° C
2.3° 

Terra Mar surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Terra Mar surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 387 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. 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 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Tue 18th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 16s
Best Surf11PM (Tue 18th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 16s
Most Powerful 5PM (Wed 19th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Terra Mar over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, surfers, Rusty here, looking at the next stretch for Terra Mar. It’s a bit of a slow burn, so let’s keep the stoke in check for now.

The first few days are looking pretty marginal. We’ve got some small southwest swell rolling in, but it’s not doing much. The water’s a balmy 72°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—that’s a real treat. But the surf itself is struggling. We’re seeing weak energy readings, mostly in the 300s (385), for Tuesday, with a very long-period swell of 16 seconds pushing through. That period is nice, but the size is just too small to get excited about. It’s a classic case of waiting for more push. There's a bit of a gap here with nothing worth paddling out for initially.

Wednesday and Thursday are more of the same story, with small southwest swells around 3ft to 3ft and energy in the 300s to 400s (451). The early light onshore winds will keep things a bit grovelly. The swell period drops a little to 14 seconds by Thursday, but it's still all a bit average. To be honest, for the next week, we're looking at a lot of small, weak surf with tricky winds and iffy tides. The winds are mostly light, so it’s not blown out, but the lack of size is the main issue.

We need to look ahead to Saturday, the 29th of August, for the first real glimmer of hope. The southwest swell builds to 4ft by the afternoon, and the energy finally pushes into the strong zone, hitting 595. The period is a solid 16 seconds, which means some real groundswell. This is a notch above everything else. The downside is the winds are cross-onshore from the west-southwest, which will put a bit of texture on the face. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a while. This is a point break with a WSW optimum swell direction, and this SSW swell is getting in, but that cross-shore wind might make it a bit lumpy.

That little bump of energy looks like the highlight, but it’s a one-day wonder. After that, we drop back down into the doldrums again. Through the end of August and into the first week of September, we’re back to that same story. Small, weak swells in the 2ft to 3ft range, with energy rarely getting past the 400s (405). The winds stay light and variable, but there's just not enough size or power to make anything proper. We’re looking at days of on and off conditions, but nothing that would get me out of bed early.

So, there you have it. Not a classic outlook. The standout is definitely Saturday, the 29th of August, when that pulse of long-period southwest swell fills in. It's a long shot at this range, so keep an eye on the forecasts, but it's the only time we might get a wave with a bit of grunt. The rest of the time, we’re waiting for the ocean to wake up. It won't stay like this forever.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri morning, min 21°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat morning, min 22°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tue
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
1
1
1
0
1
2
0
0
2
0
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
SSW
17
0.8
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
13
0.6
SSW
13
0.6
SSW
13
0.4
SW
18
0.6
SSW
15
0.7
SSW
14
0.5
SW
19
0.5
SW
18
0.8
SSW
14
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
17
0.7
SW
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
243
272
377
387
249
236
236
226
156
137
135
92
167
218
177
155
269
197
179
273
Wind (km/h)
15
W
5
WNW
10
W
10
WSW
10
SSE
10
SSW
10
SW
5
S
10
WSW
10
WSW
0
WSW
10
WSW
10
WSW
5
SW
10
SW
10
WSW
5
WSW
10
WSW
15
W
0
SW
Wind State
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
3:24AM1.21m
2:34PM1.82m
3:47PM1.80m
8:25AM1.36m
5:06PM1.83m
8:27AM1.43m
6:08PM1.91m
8:41AM1.49m
6:56PM2.01m
8:58AM1.55m
7:35PM2.10m
Low Tide
9:16PM0.81m
7:02AM1.12m
10:59PM0.76m
00:19AM0.65m
10:09AM1.35m
1:10AM0.54m
11:57AM1.32m
1:47AM0.43m
12:51PM1.24m
2:18AM0.34m
1:31PM1.14m
2:46AM0.27m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:13
6:15
6:16
6:16
6:16
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:31
7:30
7:29
7:28
7:27
7:25
7:24
 mm
Temp °C
23
21
24
24
22
24
24
22
25
25
23
26
25
23
25
25
23
26
26
23
Feels °C
23
22
25
24
24
25
24
24
26
25
25
26
25
25
26
24
25
27
26
25
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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