San Diego County, California
Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on W swell at 6s with light WSW winds.
Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on W swell at 6s with light WSW winds.
Best window·Sunday 6AM–9AM·6-7ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Swamis, 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 Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft 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: 3–4ft, 18s period, rated Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 3-4ft on SSW swell at 17s with 7mph E winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Sat, Sep 5: 5–6ft, 15s period, rated Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 3-4ft 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. Get out early for the best of it — 6-7ft waves on S swell at 14s and light NNW winds. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Mon, Sep 7: 6–7ft, 13s period, rated Fair - Good. First light looks cleanest — 6-7ft on SSW swell at 13s with light winds out of the NNW. The WNW wind kicks in by afternoon — 10mph and poor by then.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Poor - Fair today — get one free email when Swamis turns Good.
Check Swamis from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Swamis is a world-class right-hand point/reef break in Encinitas, named after the Self-Realization Fellowship temple perched on the bluff above. The wave peels along a rock reef base producing long, workable walls that get better as the swell increases. When it's on, the entire North County surfing population descends on the lineup — expect dozens of surfers jockeying for position. A California State Marine Conservation Area.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Swamis is 2-3ft with a 5.5s swell period. Wind is SW at 6mph. Conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Swamis is 2-3ft, 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 Swamis 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.
Swamis works best with a W 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 Swamis. 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.
Swamis is a point with a rock bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Swamis is a world-class right-hand point/reef break in Encinitas, named after the Self-Realization Fellowship temple perched on the bluff above. The wave peels along a rock reef base producing long, workable walls that get better as the swell increases. When it's on, the entire North County surfing population descends on the lineup — expect dozens of surfers jockeying for position. A California State Marine Conservation Area.
The prime season at Swamis 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 Swamis include sharp rock reef, extreme crowds, localism (positioning-based), sea urchins, no sand on beach — rocks. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Swamis 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).
