San Diego County, California
Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on W swell at 6s with gentle WSW breeze.
Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on W swell at 6s with gentle WSW breeze.
Best window·Sunday 6AM–9AM·6-8ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Seaside Reef, 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: 2–3ft, 6s period, rated Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 2-3ft waves on W swell at 5s and light winds out of the WSW. Onshore flow builds through the day to 11mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Fri, Sep 4: 4–5ft, 18s period, rated Good. Early morning is your best window — 4-5ft waves on SSW swell at 18s with 7mph E winds. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Sat, Sep 5: 5–6ft, 15s period, rated Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 4-5ft on S swell at 13s with light winds out of the N. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 10mph from the NW and dropping conditions to fair - good.
Sun, Sep 6: 6–8ft, 14s period, rated Fair - Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 6-8ft on S swell at 14s with light NNW winds. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
Mon, Sep 7: 6–7ft, 13s period, rated Fair - Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 6-7ft 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.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
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Check Seaside Reef from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Seaside Reef is a left-dominant reef break in the Cardiff/Solana Beach corridor where local pros like Rob Machado are commonly found in the lineup. WNW to NW swells produce the most consistent, longest rides. Low tide creates the most hollow conditions — the left can suck out on the takeoff at extreme lows. The competitive lineup rewards experience and positioning.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Seaside Reef is 2-3ft with a 5.5s swell period. Wind is ENE at 2mph. Conditions are rated Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Seaside Reef is 2-3ft, produced by a 2.5ft W wind swell swell at 6s, a 2.2ft SSW secondary swell at 11s, a 1.3ft 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 Seaside Reef is Sunday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 6ft waves, a 14s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Seaside Reef works best with a NW 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 Seaside Reef. 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.
Seaside Reef is a reef with a rock bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Seaside Reef is a left-dominant reef break in the Cardiff/Solana Beach corridor where local pros like Rob Machado are commonly found in the lineup. WNW to NW swells produce the most consistent, longest rides. Low tide creates the most hollow conditions — the left can suck out on the takeoff at extreme lows. The competitive lineup rewards experience and positioning.
The prime season at Seaside Reef is winter, 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 Seaside Reef include rock reef bottom, shallow at low tide, competitive crowd, sea urchins. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Seaside Reef 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).
