La Jolla, San Diego · San Diego County
Windansea Surf Report
Surf
2–3 ft
Fair
Tide
Rising
High 5.4 ft at 7:51 PM
Wind
4 kt
From W · onshore
Water
75°F
from the buoy
Water quality
Low
Recent tests within limits
Windansea is the most consequential reef in La Jolla and one of the most localized waves in California. It breaks over a shallow cobblestone reef right below the palapa, throws hard on the takeoff, and rewards precise positioning far more than paddle power. On a long-period south swell with a low tide it is one of the best waves in San Diego. On the wrong tide it is a closeout that lands on rock.
Conditions now
Fair
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
Epic
2–4 ft with light onshore wind
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 Windansea's swell window.
Wind now
4 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 Windansea each day (from the forecast model, not the buoy); dot color is that day's rating using the day's strongest wind. Windansea works best with 14s+.
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 SW (200°–275°)
- Ideal period
- 14s+
- Tide
- Low to medium incoming
- Wind
- Light E / NE (offshore, pre-10am)
- Size
- 3–6 ft
Swell arriving — next 48 hours
Hourly swell height and period from the GFS-Wave / ECMWF marine model at 32.833, -117.279
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 Windansea needs.
- Swell from
- SSW · 200°
- Wind from
- N · 0°
- Swell window
- SSW–W (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 Windansea'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 “Windansea” and its city. Each is credited to its creator and plays from YouTube.
Through the year — monthly guide & videos
What Windansea 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 Windansea in that month.
September at Windansea
In September, waves at Windansea typically peak around 3.3 ft each day, with swell mostly from the SW at about 11 seconds, the water averages 70°F (a springsuit or 2 mm full suit), air runs 65–77°F, and it rains on about 3 days.
Typical wave peak
3.3 ft
SW swell · 11s
Water
70°F
a springsuit or 2 mm full suit
Air
77°F
lows 65°F
Rainy days
3
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 Windansea in September, filtered to real surf footage. The date shown is when each video was posted.
Winter Waves at WindanSea, La Jolla CA - Surfers and DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Andreas Koester · Posted Jan 13, 2019
Windansea Surf Spot Review
Go Surfing San Diego · Posted Feb 6, 2022
Sunset surfing at Windansea Beach in La Jolla
San Diego Life & Home · Posted Jun 29, 2022
Windansea Surfing - September/5/2023
ApTv · Posted Sep 5, 2023
The break
The main peak sits directly out from the palapa (the historic thatched hut on the bluff). It is a shifting A-frame — the right is shorter and steeper, the left runs longer toward the north.
It needs size and period to break properly. Anything under 3 ft at 12s is mostly a shorebreak; the reef starts working at 3–4 ft with 14s+ behind it.
South and southwest groundswell from spring through early fall is the money window. Windansea is partially shadowed from due-west and northwest energy by Point La Jolla, so a 6 ft NW day up the coast can be 2 ft here.
Tide is the single biggest variable. Low tide sharpens the peak and makes it hollow but exposes the reef; high tide backs it off and it fattens out. Incoming low-to-mid is the general call.
North of the main peak, 'Simmons Reef' and the outside bommies pick up more swell and hold larger surf — they only break on solid days and are firmly for people who know the water.
The morning offshore lasts until roughly 10–11am in summer before the sea breeze swings onshore from the west and ruins the surface.
Hazards & etiquette
- Shallow cobblestone and flat reef directly under the peak — the impact zone is unforgiving at low tide.
- Strong localism. This is a well-documented local break with decades of history. Sit wide, don't drop in, don't bring a crowd.
- Rip current along the north side of the reef — usable as a channel, dangerous if you don't know it.
- No lifeguard tower directly at the main peak year-round; the nearest permanent staffing is at La Jolla Shores and Windansea seasonal towers.
- Rocks exposed at minus tides on either side of the peak — check the tide before paddling out.
Getting there
- Parking
- Street parking on Neptune Place and Nautilus Street. Extremely tight after 8am on weekends. Do not block driveways — this is a residential street and enforcement is active.
- Entry
- Stairs and sand access below the palapa. Time your entry between sets and use the north-side rip as a channel.
- Facilities
- No restrooms or showers at the break. Nearest are at La Jolla Shores, about 2 miles north.
- Nearest buoy
- NDBC 46254 — Scripps Nearshore (CDIP 201), the closest wave buoy, about 2.5 mi north, in roughly 20 m of water off Scripps Pier.
Seasonal patterns
Spring (Mar–May)
Transitional. Mix of late NW and early S swell, water 60–64°F, frequent morning fog and light wind. 3/2 full suit.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Prime season. Southern Hemisphere groundswell with 16–20s periods lights up the reef. Water 66–72°F, boardshorts or a spring suit. Early morning only — the sea breeze is reliable.
Fall (Sep–Nov)
The best all-around window. Lingering south swell, the first NW pulses, warmest water of the year (68–72°F in September) and the lightest winds.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Shadowed from most NW energy but picks up west swell and the occasional big day on the outside reefs. Water 58–62°F, 3/2 or 4/3.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Jolla CoveFM-070 · 1.3 mi away | 2026-09-22 | Enterococcus | 1,357 Copies/100ml | 1,413 · under |
| Playa Del NorteEH-280 · 0.2 mi away | 2026-08-25 | Enterococcus | 2 CFU/100ml | 104 · under |
| Vista De La PlayaEH-290 · 0.2 mi away | 2026-08-25 | Enterococcus | 4 CFU/100ml | 104 · under |
| BonairFM-050 · 0.2 mi away | 2026-08-25 | Enterococcus | 2 CFU/100ml | 104 · under |
| Playa Del NorteEH-280 · 0.2 mi away | 2026-08-25 | Fecal Coliforms | 20 CFU/100ml | 400 · under |
| Vista De La PlayaEH-290 · 0.2 mi away | 2026-08-25 | Fecal Coliforms | 2 CFU/100ml | 400 · under |
| BonairFM-050 · 0.2 mi away | 2026-08-25 | Fecal Coliforms | 2 CFU/100ml | 400 · under |
| Playa Del NorteEH-280 · 0.2 mi away | 2026-08-25 | Total Coliforms | 20 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.
San Diego County Department of Environmental Health samples La Jolla shoreline weekly. Windansea rarely posts advisories, but avoid surfing for 72 hours after measurable rainfall — urban runoff from the Rose Canyon and Tourmaline drainages raises bacteria counts across La Jolla and Pacific Beach.
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 Windansea 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.