Orange County, California
Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on W swell at 6s with moderate SSE wind around 8mph.
Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on W swell at 6s with moderate SSE wind around 8mph.
Best window·Sunday 9AM–12PM·2-3ft·Fair
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Blackies, Orange County, California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 1–2ft, 6s period, rated Poor. Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on W swell at 6s with moderate SSE wind around 8mph. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
Fri, Sep 4: 1–2ft, 17s period, rated Poor. Dawn patrol is the move — 1-2ft on W swell at 5s with gentle S breeze. Onshore flow builds through the day to 9mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Sat, Sep 5: 1–2ft, 15s period, rated Poor. Dawn patrol is the move — 1-2ft on S swell at 13s with barely a breath of wind. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 8mph from the SW and dropping conditions to poor.
Sun, Sep 6: 2–3ft, 14s period, rated Fair. Expect 2-3ft all day on S swell at 14s with light WNW winds — nothing amazing but surfable.
Mon, Sep 7: 1–2ft, 13s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 1-2ft on SSW swell at 13s with light winds out of the NW. The W wind kicks in by afternoon — 13mph and very poor by then.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Poor today — get one free email when Blackies turns Good.
Check Blackies from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Blackies is a longboard culture wave between the 28th Street jetty and Newport Pier, named for the historic bar that once stood on the shore. Peaky sandbars create fun noseriding sections on smaller days and the wave can get surprisingly hollow and powerful on solid swells. While beginners gravitate here on mellow days, Blackies has a dedicated longboard crew and a cultural identity that rewards intermediate-level wave knowledge.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Blackies is 1-2ft with a 5.3s swell period. Wind is SSE at 7mph. Conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Blackies is 1-2ft, produced by a 2.1ft W wind swell swell at 5s, a 1.3ft SSW secondary swell at 10s, a 1.1ft SSW tertiary swell at 16s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Blackies is Sunday from 9 AM to 12 PM with 2ft waves, a 13.8s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Blackies works best with a SSW swell and E winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Blackies. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Blackies is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Blackies is a longboard culture wave between the 28th Street jetty and Newport Pier, named for the historic bar that once stood on the shore. Peaky sandbars create fun noseriding sections on smaller days and the wave can get surprisingly hollow and powerful on solid swells. While beginners gravitate here on mellow days, Blackies has a dedicated longboard crew and a cultural identity that rewards intermediate-level wave knowledge.
The prime season at Blackies is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Blackies include crowded during peak times, occasional strong currents. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Blackies forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
