San Diego County, California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach, 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.
Sun, May 10: 5–6ft, 18s period, rated Poor - Fair. Slim pickings today — 5-6ft and poor - fair with moderate W wind around 8mph.
Mon, May 11: 5–6ft, 18s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 5-6ft waves on SSW swell at 16s with light WNW winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 8mph, bringing conditions down to fair.
Tue, May 12: 4–5ft, 16s period, rated Poor - Fair. First light looks cleanest — 4-5ft on SSW swell at 15s with light winds out of the WSW. The WSW wind kicks in by afternoon — 8mph and poor - fair by then.
Wed, May 13: 4–5ft, 15s period, rated Poor - Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 4-5ft waves on SSW swell at 14s and barely a breath of wind. Onshore flow builds through the day to 10mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Thu, May 14: 3–4ft, 16s period, rated Poor - Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 3-4ft waves on SSW swell at 13s and light W winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 11mph from the W and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Free, simple, and takes 30 seconds.
Blacks Beach is one of the heaviest beach breaks in Southern California, where underwater Scripps Canyon and La Jolla Canyon funnel swell energy directly into the break, amplifying wave size 1.5-2x larger than surrounding beaches. Three defined peaks produce dredging barrels — South Peak's left, Middle Peak's A-frames, and North Peak's deep right. The steep 300-foot cliff descent is the only access. Not for beginners under any circumstances.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach is 5-6ft with a 17.65s swell period. Wind is W at 8mph and conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach is 5-6ft, produced by a 1.5ft W primary swell at 6s, a 1.5ft SSW secondary swell at 18s, a 0.7ft S tertiary swell at 13s. 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 Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach is Monday from 3 PM to 6 PM with 6ft waves, a 15.5s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach works best with a SW 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 Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach. 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.
Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to advanced surfers. Blacks Beach is one of the heaviest beach breaks in Southern California, where underwater Scripps Canyon and La Jolla Canyon funnel swell energy directly into the break, amplifying wave size 1.5-2x larger than surrounding beaches. Three defined peaks produce dredging barrels — South Peak's left, Middle Peak's A-frames, and North Peak's deep right. The steep 300-foot cliff descent is the only access. Not for beginners under any circumstances.
The prime season at Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach 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 Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach include heavy powerful waves, strong currents from canyon, steep cliff access (300+ feet), aggressive competitive lineup, no easy exit. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Torrey Pines/Blacks Beach 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. See the forecast accuracy card above for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
