Orange County, California
First light looks cleanest — 2-3+ft on W swell at 6s with glassy conditions.
First light looks cleanest — 2-3+ft on W swell at 6s with glassy conditions.
Best window·Sunday 11AM–2PM·4-6ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Huntington Pier, 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: 2–3+ft, 6s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3+ft on W swell at 6s with glassy conditions. Onshore flow builds through the day to 12mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Fri, Sep 4: 3–4ft, 18s period, rated Poor - Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3+ft on W swell at 5s with light SSW winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 11mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Sat, Sep 5: 4–5ft, 15s period, rated Good. Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on SSE swell at 13s and glassy conditions. The WSW wind kicks in by afternoon — 9mph and fair by then.
Sun, Sep 6: 4–6ft, 14s period, rated Fair - Good. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 4-6ft with light NW winds. Early on is a little rough — give it until mid-morning to shape up.
Mon, Sep 7: 4–6ft, 13s period, rated Fair - Good. Get out early for the best of it — 4-6ft waves on S swell at 13s and 7mph from the WNW. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 16mph from the W and dropping conditions to very poor.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Want to score Huntington Pier? Get a free email before the next one fires.
Check Huntington Pier from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Huntington Pier is the self-proclaimed "Surf City USA" and host of the US Open of Surfing, one of the most famous competition venues in the sport. The pier creates sandbars on both sides that produce fast, peaky beach break waves — the north side is more forgiving for beginners, while the south side and main pier area attract intermediate-to-advanced surfers seeking barrel opportunities. NE Santa Ana winds create classic offshore conditions that groom the wave faces to perfection.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Huntington Pier is 2-3+ft with a 5.5s swell period. Wind is SSW at 3mph. Conditions are rated Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Huntington Pier is 2-3+ft, produced by a 2.2ft W wind swell swell at 6s, a 1.5ft SSW secondary swell at 10s, a 1.1ft S tertiary swell at 13s. 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 Huntington Pier is Sunday from 11 AM to 2 PM with 5ft waves, a 13.8s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Huntington Pier works best with a S swell and NE 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 Huntington Pier. 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.
Huntington Pier is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Huntington Pier is the self-proclaimed "Surf City USA" and host of the US Open of Surfing, one of the most famous competition venues in the sport. The pier creates sandbars on both sides that produce fast, peaky beach break waves — the north side is more forgiving for beginners, while the south side and main pier area attract intermediate-to-advanced surfers seeking barrel opportunities. NE Santa Ana winds create classic offshore conditions that groom the wave faces to perfection.
The prime season at Huntington Pier 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 Huntington Pier include pier pilings, heavy crowds, localism during peak times. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Huntington Pier 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).
