San Diego County, California
Conditions stay similar this week — check the hourly forecast at Sunset Cliffs for the cleanest windows.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Sunset Cliffs, San Diego County, California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Wed, Jun 24: 1–2ft, 18s period, rated Poor. Get out early for the best of it — 1-2ft waves on SSW swell at 14s and barely a breath of wind. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Thu, Jun 25: 1–1ft, 17s period, rated Very Poor. Slim pickings today — 1ft and very poor with calm winds.
Fri, Jun 26: 1–2ft, 15s period, rated Very Poor. Not the most exciting day — 0-1ft and very poor conditions with calm winds. Afternoon breeze fills in to 10mph.
Sat, Jun 27: 2–3ft, 18s period, rated Poor. Early morning is your best window — 2ft waves on W swell at 5s with gentle SW breeze. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 11mph from the W and dropping conditions to poor.
Sun, Jun 28: 2–3ft, 17s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 2-3ft on SW swell at 13s with light winds out of the WSW. The W wind kicks in by afternoon — 11mph and poor by then.
Sunset Cliffs is a collection of exposed reef breaks scattered along Point Loma's dramatic sandstone cliff face, including named breaks like Ab's Reef, Pescadero, and Luscomb's. Access requires navigating cliff trails and long paddle-outs through kelp. The west-facing exposure picks up W and NW winter swells directly, and the thick offshore kelp bed naturally smooths wind chop. Low tide produces faster, hollower, more demanding waves.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Sunset Cliffs is 1ft with a 16.75s swell period. Wind is NW at 7mph and conditions are rated Very Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Sunset Cliffs is 1ft, produced by a 2.4ft SSW primary swell at 17s, a 0.8ft W wind swell swell at 4s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Sunset Cliffs is Sunday from 8 AM to 11 AM with 2ft waves, a 15.8s swell period, and conditions rated Poor - Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Sunset Cliffs works best with a W swell and E winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Sunset Cliffs. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Sunset Cliffs is a reef with a rock bottom, suited to advanced surfers. Sunset Cliffs is a collection of exposed reef breaks scattered along Point Loma's dramatic sandstone cliff face, including named breaks like Ab's Reef, Pescadero, and Luscomb's. Access requires navigating cliff trails and long paddle-outs through kelp. The west-facing exposure picks up W and NW winter swells directly, and the thick offshore kelp bed naturally smooths wind chop. Low tide produces faster, hollower, more demanding waves.
The prime season at Sunset Cliffs is winter, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Sunset Cliffs include sharp limestone reef with urchins, cliff access — eroding sandstone, long paddle-outs through kelp, rocks at entry/exit, isolated breaks. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Sunset Cliffs forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable. Extended forecasts show general trends. Visit /public/accuracy for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
