At the beaches
Forecast height at each spot for the time on the map, with the next 90 hours underneath. Tap a card to see it on the map.
How to read this
The number is the “significant” wave height: the average of the biggest third of the waves. Real sets are bigger. The largest wave in a set can easily be 1.5 to 2 times the number on the map, so a 5 ft forecast means some sets of 8 to 10 ft.
Why the inside of the bay is calmer
Most of our swell arrives from the northwest. The Monterey peninsula and the Santa Cruz coast shadow it, so the water tucked inside the bay is often a fraction of the height out at the buoys. Beaches that face west take the full swell. Look for the colours to cool off as you follow the arrows in toward Capitola, Moss Landing and Carmel Bay.
Period: longer is stronger
The period is the time between waves. Under about 8 seconds is local wind chop. Past 12 to 14 seconds it is groundswell from a distant storm, and it carries much more energy: it breaks harder, runs up the beach further and wraps around headlands. Arrows are drawn longer for longer periods.
Direction
An arrow points the way the waves are travelling. A reading of “from WNW” means they come from the west-northwest, the classic winter swell window for this coast.
It is a model
This is a computer forecast, not a measurement, and it can be off by a foot or two, more near rocks and points. Before you paddle out, climb down to the water or walk a cliff edge, check a live cam. Never turn your back on the ocean.
Go deeper
Waves: CDIP, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (MOP model), supported by USACE and California State Parks. CDIP labels this forecast experimental. Heights are significant wave height; times are Pacific. A model forecast: check a cam. Cold water and big waves are dangerous, so know your limits and never turn your back on the ocean.