Torrey Pines State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a hard look at what’s coming for Torrey Pines State Beach.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a grind. We’re looking at a long stretch of daytime options that are mostly poor, with a lot of cross-onshore wind and choppy conditions. The water here is running at 73°F, which is a good 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a real standout, very unusual warmth. But the waves? Not so much.

For the first week, from Tuesday the 14th through to about Thursday the 24th, the surf is small and the wind is a problem. On Tuesday morning, we’ve got a 2ft SSW swell with a 13-second period, but the cross-on breeze from the WNW at 9 mph is making it messy. The combined energy is weak (228). It’s a beginner wave at best, but messy. The afternoons that week are similar – small, with cross-shore or cross-on winds keeping things chopped out. The morning of the 16th shows a 3ft W swell with a short 8-second period and a moderate cross-shore breeze – that’s a bumpy, weak combo (294 energy). Thursday the 17th isn’t any better, with 2ft SW swell and the same cross-shore wind. By Saturday the 18th, the energy starts to climb a little – the afternoon hits 3ft SW swell with 18-second period and a light onshore breeze, and the energy jumps to 504 – that’s moderate – but the forecast still calls it marginal. The onshore wind is a killer.

The real bright spot - and I mean the only one that’s worth circling on the calendar – is Saturday the 25th. The afternoon shows a 6ft SSW swell, a 13-second period, and a light cross-on breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. The combined energy is a massive 1429 – that’s strong wave energy. It’s a moderate-sized swell, but it’s a bit big for beginners. The wind is light, so it’ll be fairly clean. This is the standout. The direction is from the SSW, which is close to the optimum WNW for this spot, but it’s still a long-period groundswell that will work well here. Keep in mind it’s likely to be a bit inconsistent, and with the crowds listed as “sometimes” at this break, you might have some company.

Sunday the 26th still holds some promise, with a 3ft SSW swell and a long 19-second period, light onshore wind, and solid energy (1265 in the morning), but it’s a step down from Saturday. The rest of the 16-day window after that trails off into marginal conditions again, with cross-on breezes and lower energy.

So, bottom line: the first 11 days are a wipeout for anything decent. Don’t waste your time. The only real highlight is Saturday the 25th afternoon. That’s your window. After that, it’s back to closeouts and chop.

Rusty.

Read more