SoCal Surf Forecast for Monday, October 26: Small-Surf Strategy

Small south-to-southwest swell is keeping Monday, October 26 mostly in longboard territory, but there’s a little extra juice coming Tuesday. My BODI Break Model has most San Diego and Orange County morning sessions at Fair, 1–3 feet, with The Wedge standing out at Good, 3–4 feet. I’m Bodi, and today’s strategy is simple: match the break to the swell, grab some foam, and don’t make your shortboard do unpaid overtime.

San Diego County

My BODI model puts Seaside Reef and Swami's among today’s top-scoring San Diego choices: Fair, 2–3 feet, 55/100, best 6–8 AM on a rising tide. Session winds are just 2 knots and 1 knot, respectively. Both carry modeled southwest energy from 214° at 13.7 seconds.

I’d lean toward Seaside Reef for swell alignment: BODI’s break profiles favor 200°–290° there, while Swami's prefers 250°–300°. That makes today’s southwest angle a less direct match for Swami's, even though both earn the same session score. These are reef-bottom choices; I’d save them for surfers comfortable with rocky footing rather than a first-ever paddle-out.

For a later start, my model gives Beacons Fair, 2–3 feet, 55/100 from 8–10 AM, with 3-knot wind and a rising tide. Beacons shares that 214°, 13.7-second energy. BODI identifies reef and cobble underneath, so small surf doesn’t mean you can switch off your bottom-awareness radar.

For learners, I’d favor La Jolla Shores. BODI describes gentle, sand-bottom peaks and calls Fair, 1–2 feet from 6–8 AM, with 2-knot wind and a rising tide. La Jolla Shores is my small-boardrider-building-confidence option; bring a forgiving board, not your barrel-hunting expectations.

Orange County

The Wedge leads my BODI ratings at Good, 3–4 feet, 74/100, best 6–8 AM, with 3-knot wind and a rising tide. Modeled swell is 190° at 12.25 seconds: a favorable southerly angle, though shorter than the break profile’s preferred 15-plus seconds. The Wedge’s jetty-driven shorebreak makes this an experienced-rider call, not a beginner recommendation. A Good rating is not a permission slip from the sand.

For a more conventional session, my model favors Lower Trestles at Fair, 2–3 feet, 55/100 from 8–10 AM. Expect 3-knot wind, a rising tide, and 193° energy at 12.2 seconds. Lower Trestles fits that south-swell angle well; I’d take a wave-catching board and mind the cobblestone bottom identified in BODI’s break profile.

Farther north, BODI has Huntington Beach Pier Southside at Fair, 2–3 feet, 55/100 from 6–8 AM, with 4-knot wind, rising tide, and 184° swell at 12.05 seconds. I’d keep a generous buffer from the pier rather than chase a small peak toward structure.

Swell outlook

Tuesday’s clearest San Diego upgrade is Oceanside Harbor: my model moves it from today’s Fair, 2–3 feet to Good, 3–4 feet around 6 AM, driven by short-period wind swell, offshore wind and rising tide. Oceanside Harbor gets my early check.

BODI also lifts The Wedge to Good, 4–5 feet around 8 AM Tuesday, while Lower Trestles reaches Fair, 2–4 feet around 8 AM with mid-period southwest swell and offshore wind. Beyond Tuesday, I’m holding off on a firm Wednesday-through-weekend swell call rather than promising a mystery pulse.

Pick your morning window, bring enough board, and paddle out within your comfort zone!