Surf Forecasts:
Tippers surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, SW swell with 625 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 16 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tippers this week:
The surf forecast for Tippers over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tippers in the next 16 days are 1.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tippers over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's coming up.
We're looking at a pretty slow stretch ahead, with a lot of days that are really just for the die-hards. The swell direction is steady from the southwest, but the conditions are just not lining up to give us anything clean or punchy for a while.
The spot to watch is Tippers. It's a reliable little reef that's very consistent and exposed to the swell. The water's about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. For the first week or so, it's a bit of a grind. Wednesday the 16th has some early energy with a 3ft SSW swell and a long 17-second period, giving us moderate wave energy (518), but the wind is onshore, which is a real bummer. That same pattern hangs around through the weekend and into the next week – small surf, often around 3ft to 4ft, but the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things messy.
Honestly, it's not until Monday the 21st that we see a slight uptick in size to 4ft, but the onshore wind just spoils it. This pattern of marginal to poor conditions is locked in for over a week. You'll see a few mornings with light onshore breezes and okay-ish looking swells, but the quality just isn't there.
The best bet in this outlook, and it's a *relative* best, is Sunday the 20th. There's a 3ft SW swell with a long 18-second period pushing in, and the combined wave energy is in the moderate range (632). The wind is onshore again, but if it stays light and glassy early, it could clean up a bit. A longer-period swell like this from the SW is ideal for a reef like Tippers, so it will have some shape. Just be aware that this spot can get a few people on it, so don't expect to have it all to yourself.
Beyond that, into the final days of the month and the start of October, the swell drops off and the period shortens up. There's a little bump on the 28th with a 3ft SSW swell and a decent 16-second period, but a cross-onshore breeze is forecast. It's a long way out, so you'd be gambling on the wind changing its tune.
So, to sum it up: Tippers is your only real game in town, but the conditions are going to be a battle. The standout window to watch is the 20th, but keep your expectations in check. For everything else, it's a poor run, and you'd be better off cleaning the wax off your board and waiting for a better forecast.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue night, min 19°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 157 | 475 | 339 | 402 | 284 | 272 | 405 | 303 | 303 | 299 | 379 | 375 | 375 | 522 | 522 | 499 | 625 | 618 | 515 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 1:21AM1.32m | 12:26PM1.89m | 3:50AM1.22m | 1:12PM1.79m | 2:34PM1.72m | 8:13AM1.44m | 4:22PM1.72m | 7:53AM1.50m | 5:36PM1.79m | 8:00AM1.57m | 6:27PM1.89m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:35AM1.11m | 8:21PM0.72m | 5:02AM1.22m | 10:05PM0.74m | 11:35PM0.67m | 10:10AM1.43m | 00:29AM0.57m | 11:54AM1.34m | 1:05AM0.49m | 12:40PM1.21m | 1:34AM0.42m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:49 | — | — | 6:46 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 35 | 475 | 339 | 402 | 284 | 272 | 405 | 303 | 303 | 139 | 379 | 375 | 375 | 522 | 522 | 499 | 625 | 618 | 515 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | W 8 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 |
| kJ | 157 | 18 | 9 | 68 | 160 | 160 | 212 | 180 | 158 | 299 | 137 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 34 | 44 | 51 | 38 | 15 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 9 | S 8 | SSW 12 | NW 11 | W 5 | S 11 | W 5 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 110 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 13 | 28 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 18 | 24 | 95 | 83 | 56 | 76 | 77 | 48 | 47 | 45 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 8 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 135 | 39 | 0 | 39 | 38 | 4 | 38 | 39 | 7 | 38 | 38 | 0 | 39 | 38 | 0 | 39 | 39 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Diego County | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Tippers surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Tippers Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Tippers provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Tippers can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Tippers 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 (Tippers) 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 Tippers 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.
Tippers is 2 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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