Pacific Beach Floods as San Diego Tide Warning Continues

High tides flooded streets and bike paths in Pacific Beach and Mission Bay on Tuesday, October 27, according to NBC 7 San Diego. For surfers, I’m putting access ahead of wave hunting: NBC 7 reports that a coastal flood warning covering the entire San Diego County coastline remains in effect through Thursday afternoon.

The warning began Monday with tides forecast to exceed 8 feet, potentially challenging records, according to NBC 7. That is a tide forecast—not an eight-foot surf report. NBC 7 meteorologist Greg Bledsoe specifically cautioned that the high tides do not mean surf will increase this week. My translation: leave the imaginary big-wave gun in the garage, but take the flooding seriously.

Flooded routes, but a rebuilt berm holds

NBC 7 documented flooding on Dawes Street and along Ingraham Street approaching SeaWorld and the beach communities. Bledsoe told the station that Tuesday morning’s tides could prove to be the week’s highest. That does not erase the remaining warning period, so I would not treat one receding tide as an all-clear.

There was a useful defensive success at Mission Beach: according to NBC 7, the city-built sand berm held Tuesday after crews rebuilt portions following Monday’s flooding. That is encouraging news for the neighborhood, not an invitation to climb over protective sand or assume every approach is usable.

Farther north, NBC 7’s Todd Strain reported that communities generally fared better because much of their infrastructure sits higher above sea level. Even so, the station reported waves surrounding an Oceanside lifeguard tower that normally stands on the beach. I would check the actual access point rather than choose a destination simply because it is farther north.

The local surf forecast is modest

For Wednesday, October 28, the Surfing Tomorrow forecast puts Pacific Beach at Fair, 2–3 feet, scoring 55/100, with the strongest modeled window from 8–10 a.m. and a peak around 9 a.m. The forecast lists approximately 13.6-second wave energy from 252°, light 4-knot wind during that window and a rising tide.

Mission Beach carries the same Wednesday size, rating, score and preferred window in the Surfing Tomorrow forecast. Our break profiles identify both as sand-bottom beach breaks that generally favor low-to-mid tide. I’m treating the morning window as a wave-quality estimate—not a flood-safety appointment. A model can rank the surf; it cannot wave you through a flooded street.

For Thursday, the Surfing Tomorrow forecast keeps both breaks at Fair, 2–3 feet, with the best modeled hour at 6 a.m., supported by offshore wind and a rising tide. Again, that timing remains subordinate to the coastal warning and conditions at the beach.

What it means for surfers

My call is to make the access check before the paddle-out decision:

• Skip flooded approaches. Do not drive, cycle or wade through water to salvage a session. Respect barriers and ask lifeguards about usable entry and exit points.
• Beginners should be especially selective. Small surf is not enough reason to enter during a coastal flooding event. Postpone if getting in or out looks questionable.
• Check water-quality notices separately. Neither a surf rating nor the flooding report establishes that the water is suitable for swimming.

For a smaller-wave comparison, the Surfing Tomorrow forecast gives La Jolla Shores Fair, 1–2 feet, 43/100, with an 8–10 a.m. Wednesday window and 4-knot wind. Its sand bottom and gentle peaks make La Jolla Shores worth evaluating for learners under suitable conditions, but that forecast is not an exemption from the countywide warning.

I’m all for squeezing a little stoke out of modest surf. This week, though, a dry, legal route back to the car beats an extra wave.