Weekly Swell Analysis: April 1-7, 2026
Here's your weekly swell analysis for April 1-7, 2026, covering all seven Swell Intel forecast regions from coast to coast. Each section breaks down the dominant swell sources, daily conditions, and the best spots to target this week. All forecasts are generated from our high-resolution SWAN wave model at 50-meter nearshore resolution.
California
The early part of the week is quiet for California — a small NW wind swell keeps things in the knee-to-waist-high range Wednesday through Friday, with short periods around 7-10 seconds. Not much to get excited about, though El Porto might offer a few punchy runners on the morning glass if you're not picky.
The real story is the weekend. A solid south groundswell out of 175-180° starts filling in Saturday morning with long-period 16-second energy — the good stuff. South-facing spots will be first to feel it. By Saturday afternoon expect chest-high surf with some head-high sets at Huntington Pier, Cardiff Reef, and Trestles. Sunday is the peak day — chest-to-head-high across SoCal's south-facing breaks with clean morning conditions.
Malibu is the sleeper pick this week. That direct south angle is exactly what Malibu needs to turn on, and with 16-second periods those long walls should be peeling beautifully Saturday afternoon through Sunday. Trestles will be firing too — that south energy lines up perfectly for long, workable walls. NorCal won't see much from this swell — Linda Mar stays in the 1-2ft range all week.
Best bets: Malibu or Trestles Saturday afternoon through Sunday for the cleanest south swell walls. Huntington and Cardiff will have the most size on Sunday morning. Get out early before the wind.
Hawaii
The North Shore is seeing the tail end of a moderate NW swell early in the week — Sunset Beach pushing 5-6ft on Tuesday with Fair conditions. Pipeline will have some 4-5ft sets but it's not a standout session. As the week progresses, the swell drops to the 3-4ft range Wednesday through Thursday, still offering some fun sessions at Pipe and Sunset for the locals who know how to find the right peaks at this size.
Friday and Saturday go quiet — 2-3ft across the north shore and not much happening. Makaha on the west side will be essentially flat all week at 1-2ft. The south shore is the bright spot: Ala Moana Bowls sees some 3-4ft energy midweek from a south swell that wraps into town. Diamond Head also picks up 3-4ft on Wednesday-Thursday. Sunday brings a slight bump back to 3-4ft on the north shore with Fair-Good conditions — not a major event, but enough to get wet if you haven't surfed all weekend.
Best bets: Sunset Beach early in the week (Tuesday-Wednesday) for the last of the NW energy. If you're in town, Ala Moana Bowls on Wednesday-Thursday when the south wrap delivers some fun walls.
East Coast
A steady stream of swell keeps the East Coast active all week, with the best day shaping up to be Sunday. The week opens with 4-5ft surf on Wednesday — Sebastian Inlet will be the standout in Florida with overhead sets and Fair-Good conditions, while Cocoa Beach and Jacksonville hold in the 3-4ft range. Cape Hatteras gets some 3-4ft energy but wind will be a factor up there.
Thursday holds similar — 4-5ft at the better spots — then Friday dips slightly to the 3-4ft range. The real story is the weekend build: Saturday sees 4-5ft with improving conditions, and Sunday is the day to circle. Rockaway picks up 5-6ft and will be the biggest wave on the coast, though it tends to get choppy in that size range. Manasquan and the Jersey Shore should have some cleaner 3-4ft surf. Down south, Folly Beach in Charleston will see smaller 2-3ft waves all week — rideable but not remarkable.
Best bets: Sebastian Inlet on Wednesday for the cleanest conditions early in the week, and Rockaway on Sunday morning before the wind for the biggest surf. Jersey surfers should hit Manasquan on Sunday for a more manageable session.
New England
New England gets two pulses this week with a lull in between. Wednesday is the first good day — a south swell pushes Hampton Beach to 4-5ft with Good conditions, and the Rhode Island breaks (Narragansett and Misquamicut) see 3-4ft of solid, clean surf. Hampton's open exposure to the south gives it the edge in size. Nantasket up in Massachusetts will see 2-3ft but nothing special given its more sheltered position.
Thursday through Saturday is the lull — heights drop to the 2-3ft range and conditions deteriorate to Poor-Fair. Not worth a long drive, though Narragansett might offer a few fun runners if the wind cooperates on Friday when a small bump to 3-4ft comes through.
Then Sunday the second pulse arrives — a bigger push that sends Hampton Beach to 6-7ft. That's a proper day of surf for New England, though conditions will be Fair rather than Good, so expect some texture on the faces. The RI spots should see 4-5ft on Sunday as well.
Best bets: Hampton Beach on Wednesday for the cleanest and best-rated session of the week. If you can only surf weekends, Sunday at Hampton or Narragansett will have solid size — just go early for the best conditions.
Pacific Northwest
This is the week for the Pacific Northwest. A significant WNW swell builds through Thursday, peaking with 8-9ft sets at Seaside Cove and Cape Kiwanda — both rated Very Good. That's a legit overhead-to-double-overhead day with clean conditions. Indian Beach and La Push in Washington will also be pumping at 7-9ft, though conditions are rated Fair-Good up there (likely some wind in the mix).
Wednesday is the warm-up at 4-5ft — worth a session but nothing compared to what's coming. Thursday is the size peak but Friday is actually the pick of the week — the swell drops to a more manageable 5-6ft and the conditions clean up to Very Good. That's the sweet spot: still plenty of power but more organized and groomed. By Saturday and Sunday it's back to 3-4ft and the show is over.
Best bets: If you can handle the size, Seaside Cove or Cape Kiwanda on Thursday will be massive and memorable. For the best overall session, Friday is the day — still 5-6ft with Very Good conditions. Get there at dawn.
Gulf Coast
It's a typical modest week for the Gulf Coast — small, wind-driven swell with the best of it at South Padre Island. Wednesday opens at 2-3ft across the region, building slightly to 3-4ft Thursday through Saturday. South Padre sees the most size at 3-4ft with Fair conditions, which is about as good as it gets in the Gulf this time of year. Okaloosa Pier in the Florida panhandle will have some rideable 2-3ft surf, enough for a longboard session or a shortboard if you're not picky.
Navarre Beach, Panama City Beach, and Dauphin Island are mostly 1-2ft and rated Poor — you'd need a longboard and low expectations. The SE wind swell doesn't produce much period, so what size there is will be short-interval and mushy. Sunday the swell backs off to 2-3ft everywhere and the week ends quietly.
Best bets: South Padre Island on Thursday or Friday morning for the best chance at waist-high, rideable waves. If you're in the panhandle, Okaloosa Pier is your best option but keep expectations in check.
Puerto Rico
A solid NNE groundswell has been lighting up Puerto Rico's north and northwest coasts, peaking today (Tuesday) with Wilderness running 6-8ft and Good conditions as that NNE energy hits the exposed north coast head-on. It's been a proper day of powerful, open-ocean surf up there around Aguadilla.
Wednesday the swell starts to ease but not by much — Wilderness should still be holding 5-7ft with Good conditions as the pulse slowly winds down. Down in Rincon, Maria's will be in the 4-5ft range on Wednesday — a couple feet smaller than the north coast since the NNE energy has to wrap around into those west-facing breaks, but the wave quality at Maria's more than makes up for the size difference. Those long, peeling walls are what put Rincon on the map, and midweek should still deliver some excellent sessions.
Thursday drops to 3-5ft, Friday-Saturday eases to 2-4ft, and by Sunday it's back to 2-3ft. The north coast will hold a foot or two bigger than Rincon through the entire fade. If you're planning a session, get out there sooner rather than later — each day this week will be a step down from the last.
Best bets: If you missed today's peak, Wilderness on Wednesday morning still has solid 5-7ft NNE energy. Maria's on Wednesday for cleaner, more peelable walls in the 4-5ft range. By the weekend it's fun-sized but fading fast.