San Diego County, California
Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on WNW swell at 6s with light winds out of the W.
Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on WNW swell at 6s with light winds out of the W.
Best window·Sunday 1PM–4PM·3-4+ft·Fair - Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Mission Beach (San Diego), San Diego 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 Very Poor. Get out early for the best of it — 1-2ft waves on WNW swell at 5s and light W winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 11mph from the W and dropping conditions to very poor.
Fri, Sep 4: 2–3ft, 18s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on SSW swell at 17s with light ESE winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 12mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Sat, Sep 5: 2–3ft, 15s period, rated Poor. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 2-3ft with moderate NW wind around 8mph. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning.
Sun, Sep 6: 3–4ft, 14s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 3-4ft on S swell at 14s with 8mph NNW winds. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Mon, Sep 7: 3–4ft, 13s period, rated Poor - Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 3-4ft on SSW swell at 13s with 9mph from the NNW. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
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 Mission Beach (San Diego) turns Good.
Check Mission Beach (San Diego) from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Mission Beach is a long, sandy beach break in San Diego with consistent, mellow waves that wrap around the bay, making it ideal for beginners and intermediate surfers. The beach faces east but receives best energy from southern and southern-southwest swells, which refract around Point Loma. This iconic San Diego beach spot offers fun, forgiving peaks along a wide sandy bottom, though it can get crowded, especially during summer months and weekends.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Mission Beach (San Diego) is 1-2ft with a 5.5s swell period. Wind is W 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 Mission Beach (San Diego) is 1-2ft, produced by a 2.4ft WNW wind swell swell at 6s, a 2.1ft SSW secondary swell at 10s, a 1.2ft SW 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 Mission Beach (San Diego) is Sunday from 1 PM to 4 PM with 4ft waves, a 13.6s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Mission Beach (San Diego) works best with a S 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 Mission Beach (San Diego). 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.
Mission Beach (San Diego) is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to beginner surfers. Mission Beach is a long, sandy beach break in San Diego with consistent, mellow waves that wrap around the bay, making it ideal for beginners and intermediate surfers. The beach faces east but receives best energy from southern and southern-southwest swells, which refract around Point Loma. This iconic San Diego beach spot offers fun, forgiving peaks along a wide sandy bottom, though it can get crowded, especially during summer months and weekends.
The prime season at Mission Beach (San Diego) 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 Mission Beach (San Diego) include crowded conditions, swimmers and beachgoers, weak swell consistency during summer. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Mission Beach (San Diego) 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).
