SoCal Surf Forecast for Saturday, October 3: Pick Your Peaks

South-to-SSW swell is putting 3–4 ft surf at favored San Diego and Orange County breaks this Saturday, October 3, while plenty of neighboring peaks stay smaller, according to my BODI Break Model. Periods around 12–13 seconds make this a pick-your-spot morning, not an everybody-gets-barrels bonanza. I’m Bodi, and my call is simple: chase the better exposures and morning winds—not your buddy’s suspiciously enthusiastic group text.

San Diego County

My BODI model gives Windansea Good, 3–4 ft, 74/100, with an 8–10 AM session window, 4 kt wind and falling tide. The swell runs 211° at 12.15 seconds: a useful SSW angle within this reef’s preferred 200°–275° range, though shorter than its favored 14-second-plus period. Windansea’s cobblestone-over-reef bottom makes this my pick for surfers comfortable around rock, not first-time paddlers. Watch your exits; the reef does not accept apologies.

For a lighter-wind option, my model puts Seaside Reef and Swami's at Good, 3–4 ft and 74/100, both best 8–10 AM, with just 1 kt wind and falling tide. Their swell is 211° at 12.25 seconds. I’d favor Seaside Reef for its match with that SSW direction; Swami's still earns Good despite normally preferring W–NW swell. Both have reef bottoms, so keep the enthusiastic dismounts feet-up.

Learning or bringing the longboard? My BODI call for La Jolla Shores is Fair, 1–2 ft, 49/100, best 6–8 AM with 3 kt wind and rising tide. Its gentle, sandy peaks make La Jolla Shores my more forgiving choice. That’s a practice-session invitation, not a promise that every ripple will carry you to the parking lot.

Orange County

My model’s stronger San Clemente picks are Lower Trestles and Middles: Good, 3–4 ft, 74/100, best 8–10 AM on falling tide. Swell runs 202° at 12.4 seconds, fitting their south-through-west exposure. Session wind is 11 kt, so I wouldn’t sell this as guaranteed glass. Lower Trestles offers lefts and rights over cobblestone; I’d send confident surfers here and recommend careful footing at both breaks.

Farther north, my BODI model has The Wedge at Good, 3–4 ft, 74/100, best 6–8 AM, with 3 kt wind and falling tide. Its southerly swell is 191° at 13.35 seconds. The Wedge remains a jetty-assisted shorebreak: that friendly-looking size is not a beginner endorsement. I’d leave this one to experienced shorebreak riders.

For a smaller beach-break session, my model gives Huntington Beach Pier Southside Fair, 2–3 ft, 55/100, best 6–8 AM, with 2 kt wind and falling tide. Swell is 183° at 11.7 seconds. Bring a board that paddles easily and give the pier plenty of room.

Swell outlook

Sunday’s BODI forecast keeps mid-period S–SSW swell in play but trims Windansea to Fair, 2–3 ft around 6 AM. Seaside Reef and Swami's hold Good, 3–4 ft around 8 AM, with light, glassy wind and falling tide. Lower Trestles and Middles also hold Good, 3–4 ft around 8 AM, with offshore wind and falling tide. Huntington Beach Pier Southside stays Fair, 2–3 ft around 6 AM.

Beyond Sunday, I’m not calling a fresh swell arrival or a size jump yet; keep those weekday strike missions provisional.

Pick the right peak, respect the bottom, and when in doubt, paddle out—within your limits.