SoCal Surf Forecast for Thursday, October 1: Dawn Patrol Wins

Mid-period SSW swell is doing the heavy lifting this Thursday, October 1, with westerly energy helping selected breaks. My BODI model puts most San Diego and Orange County surf at Fair, 2–3 feet, with Good, 3–4-foot standouts and an Excellent, 4–5-foot exception at The Wedge. I’m Bodi, and my call is simple: grab the morning window, not another snooze. Your pillow has never delivered a decent cutback.

San Diego County

My BODI picks include Bird Rock and Sunset Cliffs, both Good, 3–4 feet, 74/100, best 6–8 AM on a rising tide. Bird Rock has SSW energy from 206° at 11.6 seconds, with 3-knot session wind. Sunset Cliffs favors the west component: 264° at 10.95 seconds, with 2-knot wind. These are breaking-wave heights, not offshore swell heights.

I’d steer reef-comfortable surfers toward those two. The BODI break profiles identify reef beneath Bird Rock and reef-and-rock bottom at Sunset Cliffs, so smallish surf isn’t permission to switch off your feet-and-fins awareness. Pick your entry and exit before paddling.

Farther north, my model gives Oceanside Pier Northside and Oceanside Harbor the same Good, 3–4-foot, 74/100 call. Both favor 6–8 AM, with 3-knot wind and rising tide; swell runs 204° at 12.25 seconds. I like these for capable surfers seeking beach-break peaks. Keep clear of the pier and harbor jetties—concrete does not participate in surf etiquette.

For learners and mellow-board missions, I’d choose La Jolla Shores. My model calls Fair, 1–2 feet, 6–8 AM, with 3-knot wind and rising tide. Its gentle, sandy-bottom peaks make La Jolla Shores the more sensible classroom than a reef.

Orange County

The Wedge tops my BODI ratings at Excellent, 4–5 feet, 82/100, best 8–10 AM, with 4-knot wind and rising tide. Period is 11.6 seconds—well below its preferred 15-second-plus setup. Don’t mistake the rating for a monster-swell announcement, or for beginner suitability: the model’s break profile describes jetty-amplified shorebreak. I’d leave The Wedge to experienced shorebreak riders; watching is a perfectly respectable session plan.

For a more conventional surf mission, my model has Lower Trestles at Good, 3–4 feet, 74/100, best 6–8 AM. SSW swell arrives from 197° at 12.15 seconds, with 4-knot wind and rising tide. I’d target its lefts and rights if you’re comfortable negotiating cobblestones.

My BODI call for Huntington Beach Pier Southside is Fair, 2–3 feet, best 6–8 AM, with 2-knot wind and rising tide. Its west energy is 261° at 11.15 seconds. Prefer a later start? Doheny State Beach gets Fair, 2–3 feet, best 8–10 AM, with 4-knot wind and rising tide in my model.

Swell outlook

For Friday, October 2, my BODI outlook keeps Oceanside Pier Northside, Oceanside Harbor and Lower Trestles Good at 3–4 feet, best 6 AM. Mid-period SSW swell also lifts Seaside Reef and Swami's from today’s Fair, 2–3 feet to Good, 3–4 feet, best 8 AM, with light, glassy wind and rising tide.

Meanwhile, my model eases The Wedge to Good, 3–4 feet, best 10 AM, and Doheny State Beach to Poor, 1–2 feet, best 8 AM. Beyond Friday, I’m holding off on a firm weekend or early-next-week swell call—no imaginary groundswell on my watch.

Pick your window, match the break to your ability, and when in doubt, paddle out—sensibly!