Orange County, California
head high to a foot overhead
Best window·Tuesday 6AM–9AM·4-5ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at San Onofre, Orange County, California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Mon, Sep 7: 4–6ft, 12s period, rated Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 4-6ft on S swell at 12s with glassy conditions. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Tue, Sep 8: 4–5ft, 11s period, rated Good. Early morning is your best window — 4-5ft waves on SSW swell at 11s with gentle NW breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 13mph from the WNW and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Wed, Sep 9: 3–4ft, 9s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 3-4ft waves on SSW swell at 9s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 7mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Thu, Sep 10: 2–3ft, 17s period, rated Poor - Fair. Not the most exciting day — 2-3ft and poor - fair conditions with 7mph from the SE.
Fri, Sep 11: 3–4ft, 16s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 3-4ft on SSW swell at 16s with moderate SE wind around 11mph. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Regional Outlook
South Orange County
Tropical Storm Marie, well offshore of Baja, keeps a 10s south-southwest swell running early in the week. Tuesday is the pick — Fair in the morning before the cross-on wind arrives at midday. Cottons and Poche Beach rate Good Tuesday morning. From Thursday a 17s southwest groundswell takes over but cross-on wind holds the board at Poor, and Poche Beach and Cottons rate Good again Sunday morning.
Updated Sep 7, 5:47 PM
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Check San Onofre from the lineup
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San Onofre (Old Man's) is one of the most famous longboarding waves in the world — a mellow cobblestone point break that rolls 200-400 yards offshore, perfect for learning and cruising. The vibe is inclusive and family-friendly: geezers rule, grommets learn. The decommissioned nuclear plant next door (shut down since 2013) adds a surreal backdrop, though spent fuel is still stored on-site.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at San Onofre is 5-6ft with a 11.3s swell period. Wind is N at 6mph. Conditions are rated Good. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at San Onofre is 5-6ft, produced by a 5.6ft SSW primary swell at 11s, a 2.7ft WNW wind swell swell at 4s, a 0.7ft WSW tertiary swell at 9s. 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 Onofre is Tuesday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 5ft waves, a 10.7s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
San Onofre 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 Onofre. 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 Onofre is a point with a cobblestone bottom, suited to beginner surfers. San Onofre (Old Man's) is one of the most famous longboarding waves in the world — a mellow cobblestone point break that rolls 200-400 yards offshore, perfect for learning and cruising. The vibe is inclusive and family-friendly: geezers rule, grommets learn. The decommissioned nuclear plant next door (shut down since 2013) adds a surreal backdrop, though spent fuel is still stored on-site.
The prime season at San Onofre is summer, 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 Onofre include cobblestones exposed at low tide, crowds, long paddle out, decommissioned nuclear facility adjacent. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our San Onofre 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).
