La Jolla / Torrey Pines, San Diego · San Diego County
Blacks Beach Surf Report
Surf
2–3 ft
Poor
Tide
Rising
High 5.4 ft at 7:51 PM
Wind
9 kt
From W · onshore
Water
75°F
from the buoy
Water quality
Low
Recent tests within limits
Blacks is San Diego's most powerful beach break. It sits below tall cliffs at the head of the Scripps submarine canyon, which focuses swell energy onto the beach. When other spots are head high, Blacks can be well overhead, heavy and hollow.
Conditions now
Poor
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
Epic
2–4 ft with onshore wind at 9 kt
Rated by the Surfing Tomorrow Break Model, our proprietary method. How it works
Est. surf at the break
2–3 ft
Surfing Tomorrow Break Model, calculated from buoy 46254 readings and Blacks Beach's swell window.
Wind now
9 kt
From W · onshore · forecast model for Sep 23, 3:00 PM
Swells at the buoy
From the buoy: measured by NOAA buoy 46254 (Scripps Nearshore (CDIP 201)) · reading taken Sep 23, 2:26 PM
Total wave height
3.3 ft7s W 278°
All wave energy combined
Groundswell
1 ft13.3s WNW
Longer-period swell from distant storms
Wind swell
2.6 ft7.1s W
Short-period chop from local or nearby wind
7-day surf
GFS-Wave + ECMWF modelForecast unavailable.
How to read this: the curve is our estimated surf size at Blacks Beach each day (from the forecast model, not the buoy); dot color is that day's rating using the day's strongest wind. Blacks Beach works best with 13s+.
Tide
La Jolla (Scripps Pier)
Low
2:05 AM
High
8:27 AM
Low
1:52 PM
High
7:51 PM
Low
2:28 AM
High
8:44 AM
Best conditions
- Swell window
- W through NW (250°–300°)
- Ideal period
- 13s+
- Tide
- Low to mid
- Wind
- Light E / NE (morning)
- Size
- 3–10 ft
Swell arriving — next 48 hours
Hourly swell height and period from the GFS-Wave / ECMWF marine model at 32.889, -117.253
Peak in the next 48h: 0.0 ft around Wed 3 PM
Longest period: 0s — longer period means the swell was generated by a stronger, more distant storm and will carry more energy into the reef.
Wind — next 48 hours
Hourly 10 m wind speed. Offshore here is roughly E–NE.
Cleanest window: Wed 8 PM at 0 kt. Arrows show where the wind is blowing: green is offshore or glassy, yellow cross-shore, red onshore.
Swell & wind direction
Where the energy is coming from versus the window Blacks Beach needs.
- Swell from
- WSW · 250°
- Wind from
- N · 0°
- Swell window
- WSW–WNW (shaded)
Water & air temperature
Water temperature from the buoy (NOAA 46254); air temperature from the weather model. Placed on the wetsuit scale.
Wear: Boardshorts / spring
How we rate the surf
The Surfing Tomorrow Break Model is our own proprietary method. It takes the swells measured at the nearest buoy, scales each one by its period (longer swell grows more as it reaches shallow water) and by how well it lines up with Blacks Beach's swell window, then combines them into a wave size at the break. Wave size sets the possible range; the wind decides where in that range it lands. Offshore or glassy wind puts it at the top, cross-shore or light onshore at the bottom, strong onshore drops it one level, and rain or storms drop it one more.
| Wave size at the break | Possible rating |
|---|---|
| Under 1 ft | Poor |
| 1–2 ft | Poor to Fair |
| 2–4 ft | Fair to Good |
| 4–5 ft | Good to Excellent |
| 5–8 ft | Excellent to Epic |
| 8 ft + | Excellent to Epic |
Estimates, not measurements — not yet checked against logged sessions.
Recent from the lineup — YouTube
The newest YouTube videos and Shorts matching “Blacks Beach” and its city. Each is credited to its creator and plays from YouTube.
Through the year — monthly guide & videos
What Blacks Beach is like through the year. Pick a month for a quick guide built from recent years of weather and wave records, plus YouTube videos of Blacks Beach in that month.
September at Blacks Beach
In September, waves at Blacks Beach typically peak around 3.1 ft each day, with swell mostly from the SW at about 11 seconds, the water averages 70°F (trunks or a springsuit), air runs 64–76°F, and it rains on about 4 days.
Typical wave peak
3.1 ft
SW swell · 11s
Water
70°F
trunks or a springsuit
Air
76°F
lows 64°F
Rainy days
4
per month
Averages for 2023–2025. Waves and water temperature: Open-Meteo marine model (offshore, not measured at the break). Air and rain: Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis, Copernicus/ECMWF). Treat these as a general guide, not a forecast.
Saved YouTube picks for Blacks Beach in September, filtered to real surf footage. The date shown is when each video was posted.
Sunny Day and Fun Sized Waves - Blacks Beach
Zachary Sawchuk · Posted Mar 11, 2022
Blacks Beach Surf September 14th 2021 - Jay Mrjenovich
Jay Mrjenovich · Posted Sep 14, 2021
Surfing Blacks Beach September 28, 2016
JacuzziSurfer · Posted Sep 28, 2016
The break
The canyon bends and concentrates west and northwest swell, so Blacks is often noticeably bigger than nearby beaches.
Waves are fast, thick and can be barreling. It's a serious wave for experienced surfers.
Getting there takes effort — a steep trail down the cliffs or a long walk from Scripps.
Parts of the beach are clothing-optional.
Hazards & etiquette
- Powerful waves and strong currents; not a place for beginners.
- Steep, eroding cliff trails. Stay on marked paths and never climb the cliff face.
- Remote beach — help is farther away than at a busy town beach. Lifeguard coverage is seasonal.
Getting there
- Parking
- Gliderport lot on Torrey Pines Scenic Drive (for the trail) or park near Scripps and walk north.
- Entry
- Steep cliff trail from the Gliderport, or walk up the sand from Scripps Pier at lower tides.
- Facilities
- None on the beach. Bring water.
- Nearest buoy
- NDBC 46254 — Scripps Nearshore (CDIP 201), the closest wave buoy, about 1.5 mi south, off Scripps Pier.
Seasonal patterns
Spring (Mar–May)
Mixed swell, cool water around 60–64°F.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Smaller overall, but south swells can still produce size here. Warm water.
Fall (Sep–Nov)
Early northwest swells and warm water. Often excellent.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Peak season for size and power. Water around 58–62°F.
Water quality & pollution
Official bacteria tests, warnings and closures from California BeachWatch (State Water Board, reported by San Diego County), for sampling stations within 1.5 miles. Fetched Sep 23, 3:16 PM.
No active warnings or closures at nearby stations.
| Station | Sampled | Test | Result | State limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacks BeachFM-090 · 0.8 mi away | 2026-09-22 | Enterococcus | 195 Copies/100ml | 1,413 · under |
| 500 feet north of Scripps PierSI-030 · 1.5 mi away | 2026-09-02 | Enterococcus | 2 CFU/100ml | 104 · under |
| 500 feet north of Scripps PierSI-030 · 1.5 mi away | 2026-09-02 | Fecal Coliforms | 10 CFU/100ml | 400 · under |
| 500 feet north of Scripps PierSI-030 · 1.5 mi away | 2026-09-02 | Total Coliforms | 200 CFU/100ml | 10,000 · under |
Air quality (US AQI)
—
Unavailable
PM2.5 · Ozone
— · —
µg/m³
Air quality is a forecast model estimate (Copernicus CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a monitor reading.
Sampled by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health. Avoid the water for 72 hours after measurable rain.
Nearby spots
Where this data comes from
Every number on this page is pulled fresh from public sources each time the page loads. Nothing is invented. But not everything is a live measurement at the break — here's exactly what each item is.
| Item | Type | Source | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swell height, period, direction | Measured nearshore | NOAA NDBC buoy 46254 (Scripps Nearshore (CDIP 201)). NOAA posts new readings about every 30–60 min. | Reading taken Sep 23, 2:26 PM |
| Water temperature | Measured nearshore | NOAA NDBC buoy 46254. Water at the break can differ slightly. | Reading taken Sep 23, 2:26 PM |
| Tide | Official prediction | NOAA CO-OPS station 9410230 (La Jolla (Scripps Pier)). Calculated tide tables, not live water level. | Fetched Sep 23, 3:16 PM |
| 7-day swell, 48-hour swell | Forecast model | GFS-Wave / ECMWF marine models via Open-Meteo, for the open ocean off this spot. | Fetched Sep 23, 3:16 PM |
| Wind now, 48-hour wind, air temperature | Forecast model | Open-Meteo weather model. Local sea breezes can differ from the model. | Fetched Sep 23, 3:16 PM |
| Conditions rating | Surfing Tomorrow Break Model | Our proprietary rating: estimated wave size sets the range, current wind and rain/storm weather set the level (Poor, Fair, Good, Excellent, Epic). | Calculated Sep 23, 3:16 PM |
| Est. surf at the break | Surfing Tomorrow Break Model | Our proprietary estimate: buoy groundswell and wind swell scaled by period and swell-window alignment for this break. | From reading at Sep 23, 2:26 PM |
| Water bacteria, warnings, closures | Official test results | California BeachWatch (State Water Resources Control Board), reported by San Diego County DEHQ. Sampled weekly at most stations; results post a day or more after sampling. | Fetched Sep 23, 3:16 PM |
| Air quality | Forecast model | Copernicus CAMS air-quality model via Open-Meteo. Not a ground monitor. | Unavailable |
| Break guide, hazards, seasons | Written guide | General local knowledge. Seasonal water temperatures are typical ranges, not live readings. | Reviewed by our team |
Important: the buoy sits just off Scripps Pier in about 20 m of water, not at Blacks Beach itself. Waves at the break can be bigger or smaller than the buoy reading depending on swell angle, the sea floor and nearby headlands. Always check the water yourself and know your limits.