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Del Mar

NWS SGX San Diego County Coastal Areas · THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY; official reef-face range: 1–3 ft

When to go

Around 6:00 PM

Windy · Low confidence

3.1–3.1 ft · Offshore waves · not face height

Wind: 7.2 kt · onshore

Forecast details
  • This is the best time in the forecast, though wind may make it choppy.
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.

  • 5:00 PM–6:00 PM · America/Los_Angeles

    Unfavorable wind · up to 8.3 kt · reported gusts up to 9.7 kt

    Caution: This is the best available wind comparison, not a favorable-wind label. The selected wind is unfavorable for this break.

    Offshore waves: 3.1–3.1 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 4.8 km from the mapped spot. Provider grid resolution is not established for this response.
  • Reference model hour: 0 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 WNW 8.3 kt

Tide 4 ft rising

Wave, wind and tide details
Offshore model swellW 2.2 ft @ 7sValid 2026-09-22 17:00 · America/Los_AngelesMarine grid 33.0417, -117.2917 · offshore model, not a local measurement
Offshore model sea3.1 ft @ 9.4sSignificant wave height including wind waves and swell; not breaking surfValid 2026-09-22 17:00 · America/Los_Angeles
Model windWNW 8.3 ktonshoreValid 2026-09-22 17:00 · America/Los_Angeles7.2 kt onshore component
Tide4 ftrisingNOAA La Jolla 9410230 · 15 km from spot · predicted height relative to MLLWRetrieved Sep 22, 4:45 PM PDT · provider issue time unavailable62% of adjacent local low–high range · descriptive, not a safety rating
NWS SGX San Diego County Coastal Areas · THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY1–3 ftOfficial San Diego County coastal-area surf height; shore assignment is explicit, but local break transformation and quality remain unresolvedIssued Sep 22, 1:19 PM PDT
NDBC 46225 / CDIP 100 Torrey Pines Outer3.6 ft @ 17sObserved offshore significant wave height (Hs) at the assigned buoy; not breaking-wave face heightObserved Sep 22, 3:56 PM PDT

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 Del Mar
TimeWindTideOffshore swell
WSW 1.9 ktonshore1.5 ftfallingW 2.2 ft @ 4s
ENE 2.3 ktoffshore0.5 ftnear lowW 2.1 ft @ 5s
ENE 1.5 ktoffshore0.5 ftrisingW 2.1 ft @ 7s
ENE 0.8 ktoffshore1 ftrisingWSW 2.1 ft @ 9s
WSW 3.1 ktonshore1.5 ftrisingSW 2.0 ft @ 11s
W 1 ktonshore2.5 ftrisingSSW 2.0 ft @ 13s
WSW 1.7 ktonshore3 ftrisingSSW 2.0 ft @ 14s
SE 1.4 ktoffshore3.5 ftrisingSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
NNW 1.6 ktcross-shore4 ftnear highSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
NNW 3.7 ktcross-shore4 ftfallingSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
W 4.5 ktonshore3.5 ftfallingSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
WNW 6.6 ktonshore3 ftfallingSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
W 8.4 ktonshore3 ftfallingSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
W 8.9 ktonshore2.5 ftnear lowSSW 2.1 ft @ 14s
WNW 10.1 ktonshore2.5 ftrisingSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
WNW 9.9 ktonshore3 ftrisingSW 2.1 ft @ 11s
WNW 10.6 ktonshore3.5 ftrisingWSW 2.2 ft @ 9s
WNW 8.3 ktonshore4 ftrisingW 2.2 ft @ 7s
WNW 7.2 ktonshore4.5 ftrisingW 2.3 ft @ 5s
NW 6.2 ktonshore5 ftnear highW 2.4 ft @ 4s
NW 4.4 ktcross-shore4.5 ftfallingW 2.5 ft @ 4s
NW 3.7 ktcross-shore4 ftfallingW 2.4 ft @ 4s
NW 3.6 ktonshore3 ftfallingW 2.4 ft @ 4s
NW 3.1 ktcross-shore2.5 ftfallingW 2.4 ft @ 4s
Unavailable
WindWSW 1.9 ktonshoreTide1.5 ftfallingOffshore swellW 2.2 ft @ 4s
Unavailable
WindENE 2.3 ktoffshoreTide0.5 ftnear lowOffshore swellW 2.1 ft @ 5s
Unavailable
WindENE 1.5 ktoffshoreTide0.5 ftrisingOffshore swellW 2.1 ft @ 7s
Unavailable
WindENE 0.8 ktoffshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellWSW 2.1 ft @ 9s
Unavailable
WindWSW 3.1 ktonshoreTide1.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSW 2.0 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindW 1 ktonshoreTide2.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindWSW 1.7 ktonshoreTide3 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.0 ft @ 14s
Unavailable
WindSE 1.4 ktoffshoreTide3.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindNNW 1.6 ktcross-shoreTide4 ftnear highOffshore swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindNNW 3.7 ktcross-shoreTide4 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindW 4.5 ktonshoreTide3.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindWNW 6.6 ktonshoreTide3 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindW 8.4 ktonshoreTide3 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindW 8.9 ktonshoreTide2.5 ftnear lowOffshore swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 14s
Unavailable
WindWNW 10.1 ktonshoreTide2.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.1 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindWNW 9.9 ktonshoreTide3 ftrisingOffshore swellSW 2.1 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindWNW 10.6 ktonshoreTide3.5 ftrisingOffshore swellWSW 2.2 ft @ 9s
Unavailable
WindWNW 8.3 ktonshoreTide4 ftrisingOffshore swellW 2.2 ft @ 7s
Unavailable
WindWNW 7.2 ktonshoreTide4.5 ftrisingOffshore swellW 2.3 ft @ 5s
Unavailable
WindNW 6.2 ktonshoreTide5 ftnear highOffshore swellW 2.4 ft @ 4s
Unavailable
WindNW 4.4 ktcross-shoreTide4.5 ftfallingOffshore swellW 2.5 ft @ 4s
Unavailable
WindNW 3.7 ktcross-shoreTide4 ftfallingOffshore swellW 2.4 ft @ 4s
Unavailable
WindNW 3.6 ktonshoreTide3 ftfallingOffshore swellW 2.4 ft @ 4s
Unavailable
WindNW 3.1 ktcross-shoreTide2.5 ftfallingOffshore swellW 2.4 ft @ 4s

Tide

NOAA La Jolla 9410230 · 15 km from spot · MLLW

Tide height by hour for Del Mar. Approximate interpolation between predicted high and low events. Heights range from 0.5 to 5 feet.

Interpolated tide height Recommended window
About this spot

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

Mapped spot coordinate: 33, -117.28.

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

Model request point: Del Mar (33, -117.28). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 5/6 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

NWS SGX San Diego County Coastal Areas · THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY; official reef-face range1–3 ftCurrent · Sep 22, 1:19 PM PDT
  • NWS SGX San Diego County Coastal Areas · THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
    NWS SGX San Diego County Coastal Areas · THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY; Official San Diego County coastal-area surf height; shore assignment is explicit, but local break transformation and quality remain unresolved
    Current
  • Coastal Data Information Program THREDDS
    No assigned CDIP station passed schema, identity, coordinate, QC, and spot-scope validation.
    UnavailableNo source time
  • NDBC 46225 / CDIP 100 Torrey Pines Outer
    NDBC 46225 / CDIP 100 Torrey Pines Outer; Observed offshore significant wave height (Hs) at the assigned buoy; not breaking-wave face height
    Current
  • NOAA CO-OPS Tides and Currents API
    NOAA La Jolla 9410230 · 15 km from spot; predicted high/low events above MLLW, converted to feet. Timestamp is retrieval time; provider issue time is not supplied.
    Current
  • Open-Meteo Marine API
    1 of 1 configured model points available
    Current
  • Open-Meteo Weather API
    1 of 1 configured model points available
    Current
  • Surf-Forecast public pages
    Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallback
    Not applicableNo source time
  • Surfline public spot pages
    Break-specific comparison, cams, and metadata
    Not 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.