North San Diego County · Wednesday, Sep 23

Cardiff Reef

Updated Tue, Sep 22, 5:30 PM PDT

When to go

8:00 AM–10:00 AM

Looks good · Low confidence

3.0–3.0 ft · Offshore waves · not face height

Wind: 2.5 kt · direction unavailable

Forecast details

Light wind should keep the water smoother.

Other wind windows

Plan around the wind

The best available upcoming daylight wind sample to compare with the wave evidence. This compares wind only; wave size, tide suitability, and hazards can change your choice.

7:00 AM–9:00 AM · America/Los_Angeles
Light wind · up to 1.7 kt · reported gusts up to 3.9 kt
Offshore waves: 3.0–3.0 ft across the period. Surf height unavailable. Tide data available; check the local tide response.
Wind source time: Sep 22, 4:45 PM PDT. This is not the model run issue time.

How these periods are chosen

The planner prefers three consecutive hourly samples covering two daylight hours, but retains shorter one- or two-sample evidence when that is all the forecast provides. Light wind means at most 6 kt. Moderate offshore means at most 12 kt from land toward the sea when shore orientation is verified. Strong wind or known gusts of 20 kt or more remain visible as cautions instead of making the entire comparison disappear. These are comparison labels, not locally tested surf-quality or safety ratings. Missing gusts remain unknown. Terrain shelter, currents, closures, and your ability are not assessed.

Forecast confidence

Returned marine grid point is 2.7 km from the mapped spot. Provider grid resolution is not established for this response.
Reference model hour: 14 hours from now; historical residuals do not measure forecast lead-time error.
No accepted local model for these inputs: missing history, unsupported direction/period/height, or failed historical validation.
A mapped coordinate does not establish nearshore grid resolution or terrain/shelter accuracy.

Wind E 1 kt

Tide 4 ft near high

Wave, wind and tide details

Offshore model swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 13sValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/Los_AngelesMarine grid 33.0417, -117.2917 · offshore model, not a local measurement

Offshore model sea3.0 ft @ 10.4sSignificant wave height including wind waves and swell; not breaking surfValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/Los_Angeles

Model windE 1 ktoffshoreValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/Los_Angeles1.0 kt offshore component

Tide4 ftnear highNOAA La Jolla 9410230 · 22 km from spot · predicted height relative to MLLWRetrieved Sep 22, 5:31 PM PDT · provider issue time unavailable93% of adjacent local low–high range · descriptive, not a safety rating

Surf height unavailable. Coastal and offshore waves are not breaking-wave heights.

Surf and wind

Recommended window: No recommended window

Breaking surf is not reliably resolved. Hourly offshore swell and wind inputs are listed below.

Hourly forecast

Hourly surf forecast for Cardiff Reef
Time	Wind	Tide	Offshore swell
12 AM	NW 2.9 ktonshore	1.5 ftfalling	W 2.3 ft @ 5s
1 AM	N 1.2 ktcross-shore	1 ftfalling	W 2.2 ft @ 6s
2 AM	ENE 1.7 ktoffshore	0.5 ftnear low	W 2.2 ft @ 7s
3 AM	NE 1.2 ktcross-shore	1 ftrising	W 2.2 ft @ 7s
4 AM	E 2.1 ktoffshore	1.5 ftrising	W 2.1 ft @ 6s
5 AM	ESE 2.7 ktoffshore	2 ftrising	W 2.1 ft @ 7s
6 AM	ESE 2.4 ktoffshore	3 ftrising	WSW 2.1 ft @ 9s
7 AM	ESE 1.7 ktoffshore	3.5 ftrising	SW 2.1 ft @ 11s
8 AM	E 1 ktoffshore	4 ftnear high	SSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
9 AM	WNW 1.7 ktonshore	4 ftfalling	SSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
10 AM	W 2.5 ktonshore	3.5 ftfalling	SSW 2.0 ft @ 13s
11 AM	W 6.4 ktonshore	3 ftfalling	SSW 2.0 ft @ 13s
Noon	W 7.5 ktonshore	2.5 ftfalling	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
1 PM	W 7.3 ktonshore	2.5 ftfalling	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
2 PM	WSW 6.5 ktonshore	2 ftrising	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
3 PM	WSW 5 ktonshore	2.5 ftrising	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
4 PM	SW 5.2 ktonshore	3 ftrising	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
5 PM	SW 5.3 ktonshore	3.5 ftrising	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
6 PM	SW 4.5 ktcross-shore	4.5 ftrising	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
7 PM	SW 2.3 ktonshore	5 ftrising	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
8 PM	SW 1.9 ktcross-shore	5.5 ftfalling	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
9 PM	NW 0.5 ktonshore	4.5 ftfalling	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
10 PM	N 1 ktcross-shore	3.5 ftfalling	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s
11 PM	N 2.2 ktcross-shore	3 ftfalling	SSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

12 AMUnavailable

WindNW 2.9 ktonshoreTide1.5 ftfallingOffshore swellW 2.3 ft @ 5s

1 AMUnavailable

WindN 1.2 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellW 2.2 ft @ 6s

2 AMUnavailable

WindENE 1.7 ktoffshoreTide0.5 ftnear lowOffshore swellW 2.2 ft @ 7s

3 AMUnavailable

WindNE 1.2 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellW 2.2 ft @ 7s

4 AMUnavailable

WindE 2.1 ktoffshoreTide1.5 ftrisingOffshore swellW 2.1 ft @ 6s

5 AMUnavailable

WindESE 2.7 ktoffshoreTide2 ftrisingOffshore swellW 2.1 ft @ 7s

6 AMUnavailable

WindESE 2.4 ktoffshoreTide3 ftrisingOffshore swellWSW 2.1 ft @ 9s

7 AMUnavailable

WindESE 1.7 ktoffshoreTide3.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSW 2.1 ft @ 11s

8 AMUnavailable

WindE 1 ktoffshoreTide4 ftnear highOffshore swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s

9 AMUnavailable

WindWNW 1.7 ktonshoreTide4 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s

10 AMUnavailable

WindW 2.5 ktonshoreTide3.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 13s

11 AMUnavailable

WindW 6.4 ktonshoreTide3 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 13s

NoonUnavailable

WindW 7.5 ktonshoreTide2.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

1 PMUnavailable

WindW 7.3 ktonshoreTide2.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

2 PMUnavailable

WindWSW 6.5 ktonshoreTide2 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

3 PMUnavailable

WindWSW 5 ktonshoreTide2.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

4 PMUnavailable

WindSW 5.2 ktonshoreTide3 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

5 PMUnavailable

WindSW 5.3 ktonshoreTide3.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

6 PMUnavailable

WindSW 4.5 ktcross-shoreTide4.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

7 PMUnavailable

WindSW 2.3 ktonshoreTide5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

8 PMUnavailable

WindSW 1.9 ktcross-shoreTide5.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

9 PMUnavailable

WindNW 0.5 ktonshoreTide4.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

10 PMUnavailable

WindN 1 ktcross-shoreTide3.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

11 PMUnavailable

WindN 2.2 ktcross-shoreTide3 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 12s

Tide

NOAA La Jolla 9410230 · 22 km from spot · MLLW

Interpolated tide height Recommended window

About this spot

Model-grid forecast requested at the mapped coordinate; reef, headland, and nearshore transformations are unresolved. Reef break.

Mapped spot coordinate: 33.06, -117.31.

Mainland · Coast not verified · Ocean-facing bearing 270° · Location provenance

Model request point: Cardiff Reef (33.06, -117.31). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 3/5 sources

Source availability is not forecast accuracy. Where an empirical model passes historical testing, its error and interval coverage are shown above. Source count cannot increase that confidence.

Coverage tier A · US_CA · spot-level model point

Official breaking-surf report not connected for North San Diego CountyUnavailableUnavailable · Unavailable

US National Weather Service Surf Zone Forecast
No current San Diego County period covers this spot and local date.UnavailableNo source time
Coastal Data Information Program THREDDS
No assigned CDIP station passed schema, identity, coordinate, QC, and spot-scope validation.UnavailableNo source time
NOAA NDBC real-time station files
Current buoy observations are not forecasts for the selected future date.Not applicableNo source time
NOAA CO-OPS Tides and Currents API
NOAA La Jolla 9410230 · 22 km from spot; predicted high/low events above MLLW, converted to feet. Timestamp is retrieval time; provider issue time is not supplied.CurrentSep 22, 5:31 PM PDT
Open-Meteo Marine API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 22, 4:45 PM PDT
Open-Meteo Weather API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 22, 4:45 PM PDT
Surf-Forecast public pages
Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallbackNot applicableNo source time
Surfline public spot pages
Break-specific comparison, cams, and metadataNot applicableNo source time

How best guesses are made

Best guesses combine usable wave and wind evidence, with qualitative confidence and specific limitations. A missing tide or local surf-height model does not prevent useful guidance. Tide levels use the named station datum; their effect at this break remains uncertain. Wind direction is relative to the mapped beach orientation, without calibrated terrain or shelter effects. The comparison is a heuristic, not a measured quality rating.