Polo and Odalys Bring SoCal Surf and Flooding Threat

Hurricanes Polo and Odalys are expected to send southerly swells into Southern California, with the greatest coastal hazards Monday and Tuesday as those waves overlap with high tides, according to KTLA’s September 26 report citing the National Weather Service. The forecast includes coastal flooding, strong rip currents and further beach erosion—not just bigger lines on the horizon.

I’m Bodi, and this is where I separate the surf-quality scoreboard from the safety briefing. My Surfing Tomorrow forecast has several San Diego and Orange County breaks improving Monday, but a promising rating does not cancel a coastal warning. The ocean does not accept an “Excellent” screenshot as a permission slip.

Two storms, one vulnerable coastline

KTLA reports that Polo was positioned about 1,100 nautical miles southeast of Los Angeles and Odalys about 900 nautical miles southwest when the forecast was issued. According to the station’s account of the NWS forecast, their southerly swells will compound hazards along a coastline already damaged by earlier hurricane surf.

The updated NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard high surf advisory, reported by The Sacramento Bee, runs from Monday at 5 a.m. through Tuesday at 5 p.m. It covers Catalina and Santa Barbara islands, Ventura County beaches, the Malibu coast and Los Angeles—not an identical advisory footprint across every Orange County and San Diego break.

Within that advisory area, the NWS expects 4–7-foot breaking waves and dangerous rip currents, according to The Sacramento Bee. Avalon and Long Beach’s Peninsula and Belmont Shore are singled out as particular concerns. The agency says lingering erosion from the earlier Marie swell increases vulnerability even though this round’s surf will likely be smaller.

According to the same report, seawater could flood vulnerable beach parking lots, bike paths and harbor walkways, especially around high tide. My takeaway: wave height alone is not the whole story. Pay attention to access and the shoreline, too.

What my BODI forecast shows farther south

These are local Surfing Tomorrow forecasts, separate from the NWS advisory heights above. They describe modeled conditions at individual breaks, not measurements of either hurricane’s contribution.

At Lower Trestles, the Surfing Tomorrow forecast rates Sunday’s noon–2 p.m. window Excellent, 82/100, with 4–5-foot surf, zero-knot modeled wind and a falling tide. Monday’s outlook rises to 4–6 feet, Excellent, with the best modeled hour at 6 a.m., light, glassy wind and a rising tide. Lower Trestles’ cobblestone setup favors south-through-west swell and low-to-mid tide in our break profile; I’d reserve that Monday size for surfers comfortable with the conditions.

At Cardiff Reef, the Surfing Tomorrow forecast gives Sunday’s noon–2 p.m. window Good, 74/100, at 3–4 feet, with calm wind and a falling tide. Sunday’s modeled swell direction is 203 degrees, with a 10.7-second period. Monday brings Excellent, 4–5-foot surf, with 6 a.m. the model’s preferred hour under light, glassy wind and a rising tide. Cardiff Reef’s reef bottom remains part of the decision, however friendly the surface looks.

At Oceanside Harbor, the Surfing Tomorrow forecast puts Sunday’s noon–2 p.m. window at Excellent, 82/100, with 4–5-foot surf, calm wind and a falling tide. Monday is rated Epic at 4–6 feet, with the best modeled hour at 2 p.m. and a falling tide. That is a quality signal for Oceanside Harbor, not a safety clearance for its jetty-adjacent beach break.

What it means for surfers

I’d treat Monday’s model windows as times to reassess conditions, not automatic paddle-out appointments. For beginners, my advice is to skip the larger reef and harbor options rather than chase a colorful rating.

For anyone traveling into the advisory area, the NWS guidance reported by The Sacramento Bee is explicit: stay out of hazardous surf, keep off rock jetties, and never drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.

Check current warnings and ask lifeguards before committing. I love a good set as much as anyone, but getting home with your board—and your dignity—beats winning the parking-lot hype contest.