Los Angeles County, California
Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on W swell at 5s with gentle SSE breeze.
Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on W swell at 5s with gentle SSE breeze.
Best window·Sunday 12PM–3PM·2-3+ft·Fair
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Venice Beach, Los Angeles 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: 1–2ft, 12s period, rated Very Poor. Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on W swell at 5s with gentle SSE breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 11mph from the WSW and dropping conditions to very poor.
Fri, Sep 4: 1–2ft, 18s period, rated Poor. Get out early for the best of it — 1-2ft waves on SSW swell at 18s and light ENE winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 13mph from the WSW and dropping conditions to very poor.
Sat, Sep 5: 2–3ft, 16s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on SSW swell at 16s with glassy conditions. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 10mph from the WSW and dropping conditions to very poor.
Sun, Sep 6: 2–3ft, 14s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on S swell at 14s with light winds out of the WSW. The WSW wind kicks in by afternoon — 9mph and poor by then.
Mon, Sep 7: 2–3ft, 13s period, rated Poor - Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-3ft on S swell at 13s with barely a breath of wind. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 14mph from the WSW and dropping conditions to very poor.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Poor today — get one free email when Venice Beach turns Good.
Check Venice Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Venice Beach offers accessible, rolling beach breaks that peel along the sandy bottom, making it an ideal spot for beginners and casual surfers looking to practice fundamentals. The NE-facing beach receives best energy from southern and southwestern swells during fall months, when consistent groundswell arrives from distant Southern Hemisphere storms. This iconic LA beach break can get crowded, especially on weekends, but the mellow, forgiving waves and long sandy breaks provide plenty of space for everyone to find a section to surf.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Venice Beach is 1-2ft with a 5.1s swell period. Wind is SSW at 10mph. Conditions are rated Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Venice Beach is 1-2ft, produced by a 1.5ft W wind swell swell at 5s, a 1.5ft SSW secondary swell at 10s, a 1.1ft SSW 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 Venice Beach is Sunday from 12 PM to 3 PM with 3ft waves, a 14.1s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Venice Beach works best with a S swell and NE 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 Venice 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.
Venice Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to beginner surfers. Venice Beach offers accessible, rolling beach breaks that peel along the sandy bottom, making it an ideal spot for beginners and casual surfers looking to practice fundamentals. The NE-facing beach receives best energy from southern and southwestern swells during fall months, when consistent groundswell arrives from distant Southern Hemisphere storms. This iconic LA beach break can get crowded, especially on weekends, but the mellow, forgiving waves and long sandy breaks provide plenty of space for everyone to find a section to surf.
The prime season at Venice Beach 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 Venice Beach include crowded, localism, strong currents at piers. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Venice 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).
