San Diego County, California
Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on W swell at 6s with light WSW winds.
Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on W swell at 6s with light WSW winds.
Best window·Sunday 6AM–9AM·3-4ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at San Elijo State Beach, 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. Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on W swell at 5s with light WSW winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 11mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Fri, Sep 4: 1–2ft, 18s period, rated Poor. Get out early for the best of it — 1-2ft waves on SSW swell at 17s and moderate E wind around 7mph. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Sat, Sep 5: 2–3ft, 15s period, rated Poor - Fair. First light looks cleanest — 1-2ft on S swell at 13s with light winds out of the N. The NW wind kicks in by afternoon — 10mph and poor - fair by then.
Sun, Sep 6: 3–4ft, 14s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 3-4ft on S swell at 14s with gentle NNW breeze. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Mon, Sep 7: 3–4ft, 13s period, rated Fair - Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 3-4ft on SSW swell at 13s with light winds out of the NNW. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 10mph from the WNW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
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 San Elijo State Beach turns Good.
Check San Elijo State Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
San Elijo State Beach offers mellow beach breaks along the campground bluffs in Cardiff, with sandy bottom peaks that are forgiving for learners. Sandwiched between the reef breaks at Seaside and Cardiff Reef, this stretch catches S and SW swells and provides a less intimidating option for developing surfers.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at San Elijo State Beach is 1-2ft with a 5.5s swell period. Wind is WSW at 6mph. Conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at San Elijo State Beach is 1-2ft, produced by a 2.3ft W 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 San Elijo State Beach is Sunday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 3ft waves, a 14s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
San Elijo State Beach works best with a SW 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 San Elijo State Beach. 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.
San Elijo State Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to beginner surfers. San Elijo State Beach offers mellow beach breaks along the campground bluffs in Cardiff, with sandy bottom peaks that are forgiving for learners. Sandwiched between the reef breaks at Seaside and Cardiff Reef, this stretch catches S and SW swells and provides a less intimidating option for developing surfers.
The prime season at San Elijo State Beach 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 San Elijo State Beach include occasional rip currents, rocky patches at reef transitions. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our San Elijo State Beach 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).
