Swell Intel

Sunset Cliffs Surf Forecast, San Diego County, California

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San Diego County, California

Ocean beach1-2ftPoint Loma0-1ftMission Beach (San Diego)1-2ft
Sunset Cliffs surf spot

Current Conditions

Very Poor
Wave Height
0-1ft
flat to ankle high
Swell Period
14.35s
Wind
10mph
SW / Gusts 15mph
Conditions
Very Poor
Active Swells
Primary
1.0ft @ 3sS
Secondary
0.7ft @ 11sSSW
Tertiary
0.7ft @ 14sSW

Nearby Webcams

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days
Tue, Mar 311-2ft
Poor
6am9am12pm3pm
Wed, Apr 11-2ft
Poor

A slow one — 1-2ft waves and very poor conditions with gentle SW breeze.

6am9am12pm3pm
12s SSW|5-7mph SW
Thu, Apr 22-3ft
Poor

Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly poor with 11mph NW winds.

6am9am12pm3pm
12s SW|8-11mph NW
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Sat
3ft
Swell building Fri, Apr 3Fair

8s period — conditions are improving beyond your forecast

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Forecast Charts

Sunset Cliffs Surf Spot Guide

Break
Reef
Bottom
Rock
Level
Advanced
Crowd
Moderate
Best Swell
W
Best Wind
E
Season
Winter

Sunset Cliffs is a collection of exposed reef breaks scattered along Point Loma's dramatic sandstone cliff face, including named breaks like Ab's Reef, Pescadero, and Luscomb's. Access requires navigating cliff trails and long paddle-outs through kelp. The west-facing exposure picks up W and NW winter swells directly, and the thick offshore kelp bed naturally smooths wind chop. Low tide produces faster, hollower, more demanding waves.

Sharp limestone reef with urchinsCliff access — eroding sandstoneLong paddle-outs through kelpRocks at entry/exitIsolated breaks

Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.

Sunset Cliffs Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Sunset Cliffs?
The current wave height at Sunset Cliffs is 0-1ft with a 14.35s swell period. Wind is SW at 10mph. Conditions are rated Very Poor.
How accurate is the Sunset Cliffs surf forecast?
Our Sunset Cliffs 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.
What is the breaking wave height at Sunset Cliffs?
The current breaking wave height at Sunset Cliffs is 0-1ft, produced by a 1ft S primary swell at 3s, a 0.7ft SSW secondary swell at 11s, a 0.7ft SW tertiary swell at 14s. 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.
When is the best time to surf Sunset Cliffs?
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Sunset Cliffs is Friday from 8 AM to 11 AM with 3ft waves, a 7.7s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.