San Diego County, California
First light looks cleanest — 2-3+ft on WNW swell at 6s with light WSW winds.
First light looks cleanest — 2-3+ft on WNW swell at 6s with light WSW winds.
Best window·Sunday 6AM–9AM·4-6ft·Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Torrey Pines/Blacks 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: 3–4ft, 6s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3+ft on WNW swell at 5s with light WSW winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 11mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Fri, Sep 4: 4–5ft, 17s period, rated Fair - Good. First light looks cleanest — 4-5ft on SW swell at 13s with light SE winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 10mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Sat, Sep 5: 4–5ft, 15s period, rated Fair - Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 3-4ft on S swell at 13s with gentle NNW breeze. Onshore flow builds through the day to 10mph, bringing conditions down to fair.
Sun, Sep 6: 4–6ft, 14s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 4-6ft on S swell at 14s with gentle NNW breeze. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Mon, Sep 7: 4–6ft, 13s period, rated Fair - Good. Dawn patrol is the move — 4-6ft on SSW swell at 13s with light NNW winds. Conditions go downhill through the afternoon.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Want to score Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach? Get a free email before the next one fires.
Check Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Blacks Beach is one of the heaviest beach breaks in Southern California, where underwater Scripps Canyon and La Jolla Canyon funnel swell energy directly into the break, amplifying wave size 1.5-2x larger than surrounding beaches. Three defined peaks produce dredging barrels — South Peak's left, Middle Peak's A-frames, and North Peak's deep right. The steep 300-foot cliff descent is the only access. Not for beginners under any circumstances.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach is 2-3+ft with a 5.5s swell period. Wind is WSW at 6mph. Conditions are rated Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach is 2-3+ft, produced by a 2.4ft WNW 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 Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach is Sunday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 6ft waves, a 13.8s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Torrey Pines/Blacks 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 Torrey Pines/Blacks 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.
Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to advanced surfers. Blacks Beach is one of the heaviest beach breaks in Southern California, where underwater Scripps Canyon and La Jolla Canyon funnel swell energy directly into the break, amplifying wave size 1.5-2x larger than surrounding beaches. Three defined peaks produce dredging barrels — South Peak's left, Middle Peak's A-frames, and North Peak's deep right. The steep 300-foot cliff descent is the only access. Not for beginners under any circumstances.
The prime season at Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach 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 Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach include heavy powerful waves, strong currents from canyon, steep cliff access (300+ feet), aggressive competitive lineup, no easy exit. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Torrey Pines/Blacks 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).
