SoCal Surf Forecast for Friday, October 9: South Swell Delivers

Long-period south-to-SSW groundswell is Friday’s headline, with my BODI Break Model calling 4–5 ft surf at standout breaks and 6–8 ft at The Wedge. For October 9, I’m putting early sessions at the top of the menu: light winds, rising tides and plenty of Excellent ratings. The coffee can travel; the best window won’t wait for your breakfast burrito.

San Diego County

My BODI model puts Oceanside Pier Northside and Oceanside Harbor out front: Excellent, 4–5 ft, 78/100, with the best window 6–8 AM, 3 kt winds and a rising tide. The modeled period is 15.25 seconds at both. These are my picks for confident surfers chasing more substantial sets; give the pier and harbor jetties plenty of space.

For a notch less size, my model has Pacific Beach, Del Mar Rivermouth and Grandview at Good, 3–4 ft, 74/100. All three favor 6–8 AM, with 3 kt winds and rising water. Their swell signal is 200° SSW at 15.25 seconds—a useful match for their south-through-west exposure. Those heights describe breaking surf, not offshore swell height. Pacific Beach and Del Mar Rivermouth get my intermediate-session vote; Grandview’s reef-and-sand bottom calls for a careful look before committing.

Want smaller practice surf instead? My model gives La Jolla Shores Poor, 1–2 ft, best 6–8 AM, with 4 kt winds and a rising tide. Its gentle, sandy-bottom peaks make La Jolla Shores my smaller-wave suggestion for learners, not my wave-count jackpot for shortboarders. Poor doesn’t mean nobody gets to smile.

Orange County

My BODI model gives The Wedge the loudest number: Epic, 6–8 ft, 97/100, best 6–8 AM, with 3 kt winds and rising water. The swell is 186° at 15.05 seconds, lining up with its preferred southerly direction and long period. But The Wedge is jetty-amplified shorebreak, not an all-abilities playground. I’d leave this one to specialists; an Epic rating is not a permission slip.

For experienced surfers seeking a less extreme option, my model favors River Jetties and Huntington Beach Pier Southside: Excellent, 4–5 ft, 82/100, best 6–8 AM, with 3 kt winds and rising tides. Periods run 14.9 seconds and 14.85 seconds, respectively. Keep clear of the structures and choose a peak that matches your ability.

Farther south, my model calls Lower Trestles Excellent, 4–5 ft, with an 8–10 AM session window, 3 kt winds, rising water and a 15.15-second period. I’d favor it for confident surfers comfortable with cobblestones and left-and-right point-break lines.

Swell outlook

Saturday, October 10 keeps the long-period groundswell working, according to my BODI model. Oceanside Pier Northside and Oceanside Harbor hold Excellent, 4–5 ft around 6 AM, with light, glassy winds and rising tides. Grandview improves to Excellent, 4–5 ft at 6 AM, helped by offshore wind and rising water.

My Saturday call also keeps River Jetties, Huntington Beach Pier Southside and Lower Trestles Excellent at 4–5 ft. The Wedge builds to Epic, 7–9 ft, best around 8 AM with light, glassy winds. Beyond Saturday, I’m not making a firm Sunday-through-midweek size or new-swell call yet—no imaginary purple blobs on my watch.

Pick your early window, respect your limits, and paddle out with a little extra stoke.