Moonlight Beach surf forecast
Moonlight Beach is a busy, west-facing sand beach in Encinitas, California, with fast waves whose quality depends a lot on the sandbars. A five-time women's world champion learned to surf here, and she now calls it mostly a shortboard wave.
Moonlight Beach surf report, hour by hour
This table shows our forecast for the Moonlight Beach break, hour by hour. The beach faces west and takes swell from the south round to the north-west. It is cleanest when the wind blows from the east, offshore.
Updated 23:58next run 04:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
16:00–17:00 · glassy
Today 2 Nov
Marginal 07-11: average, overhead, glassy.
Best window: 07:00–11:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 04:08
- Low
- 09:30
- High
- 14:57
- Low
- 21:57
- Sunrise
- 06:08
- Sunset
- 16:56
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 3 Nov
Worth it 06-10, clean head-high, glassy.
Best window: 06:00–10:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 04:47
- Low
- 10:39
- High
- 16:20
- Low
- 22:42
- Sunrise
- 06:09
- Sunset
- 16:56
Every hour, 05–21
Wednesday 4 Nov
Marginal 06-10: average, overhead, glassy.
Best window: 06:00–10:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 05:18
- Low
- 11:26
- High
- 17:17
- Low
- 23:25
- Sunrise
- 06:09
- Sunset
- 16:55
Every 3 hours
Thursday 5 Nov
Go 16-17, clean head-high, glassy.
Kiwi's best shot: 16:00–17:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 05:47
- Low
- 12:15
- High
- 18:10
- Low
- 23:55
- Sunrise
- 06:10
- Sunset
- 16:54
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Moonlight Beach (33.048, -117.300). Waves = estimated breaking height at the beach. Data: Open-Meteo wave and weather models (CC BY 4.0). Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information. Surf at your own risk.
Watch the wind column first. East wind is offshore here. Then match the hours of east wind with mid tide.
The breaks at Moonlight Beach
Moonlight State Beach is a sand beach in Encinitas that people use for surfing, swimming, fishing and bonfires. The surf is a beach break, and its quality depends a lot on the sandbars. Swamis, about 1 km away, is often listed as the nearest spot with clean, offshore conditions.
Moonlight Beach (main peaks)
Beach breakShortboard waveLinda Benson learned to surf here in the late 1950s. She says the wave has changed and now breaks hard and fast, much more of a shortboard wave than a longboard one.
It works best on a south-west swell with the tide coming in, and the sandbars make a big difference to how good it gets. Our setup also lists closeouts and rips, so choose your peak with care. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
D Street
On the webcamThe free Moonlight Beach webcam shows the surf at D St. as well as the main beach. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Cottonwood Creek mouth
Creek outflowCheck after rainCottonwood Creek is a small creek that reaches the ocean at Moonlight Beach. In the past, runoff in the creek carried harmful bacteria, and the problem was worst after heavy rain. A UV treatment plant on B Street has since improved the water a lot. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Swamis
Nearby breakAbout 1 km awaySwamis is listed about 1 km from Moonlight Beach. The forecast often names it as the nearest spot with clean, offshore conditions. Sources: es.surf-forecast.com
What Moonlight Beach needs to fire
These are the exact rules behind Kiwi's rating for this spot. Every hour of the forecast is scored on all four, then turned into a rating of 1 to 5 stars.
Swell
South to north-west swells
The swell window runs from south to north-west, roughly 180° to 310°. The beach faces west, at about 260°.
Wind
East wind is offshore
The offshore wind blows from the east, at about 80°.
Tide
Aim for mid tide
Our forecast rates mid tide best at Moonlight Beach. The wave is also said to break best on a south-west swell with a rising tide.
Size
Best at 0.8–1.8 m
Waves from 0.8 to 1.8 m suit this break best. Under 0.4 m there is little to ride, and over 2.5 m it is too big for this break.
Shortcut: a 0.8–1.8 m swell from within the south to north-west window, an east wind and mid tide is the Moonlight Beach sweet spot.
The best months to surf Moonlight Beach
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Moonlight Beach's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Nov–JanMost reliable stretch
In November and January, 77% of days rated 4 or better, and close to nine days in ten rated at least 3. December was a little lower, with 52% of days at 4 or better.
Feb–MaySteady and decent
Through late winter and spring, about half to 60% of days rated 4 or better. At least four days in five still rated 3 or better.
Jun–JulWeakest months
Early summer is the quietest time, with only 29–33% of days rated 4 or better. Lifeguard towers are staffed from 10 am to 6 pm in summer.
Aug–OctWarm water, good August
August was strong, with 74% of days rated 4 or better, while September and October came in at 43–55%. The water is at its warmest, about 23–24°C.
Before you go
Hazards and lifeguards
Our break setup lists crowds, closeouts and rip currents at Moonlight Beach.
Lifeguard towers are open from 10 am to 6 pm in the summer months. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Water quality after rain
Runoff from Cottonwood Creek has caused water-quality problems here in the past, especially after heavy rain. The beach got a D grade from Heal the Bay in 2002. After UV treatment of the runoff improved the water, it earned five A grades and one B between 2005 and 2007. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Getting there and parking
Follow Encinitas Boulevard across Highway 101, where it becomes B Street. The beach is about a fifth of a mile further on.
A parking lot sits above the beach and is open from 5 am to 10 pm. The beach itself is open all day, except from 2 am to 4 am. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Crowds and etiquette
This is one of the most visited beaches in Encinitas, popular with both locals and visitors. Expect a crowded lineup.
Big events add to the crowds, such as Switchfoot's Bro-Am surf contest in midsummer and the Surfing Madonna beach run in the fall. Around 8,000 people come to the run each year. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Water temperature
From December to March the sea is about 16.7–17.8°C.
April to June warms to about 19–20.6°C. From July to October the water reaches about 22–24°C. November drops back to about 18.5°C.
Facilities and rules
The beach has restrooms, outdoor showers, a picnic area, fire rings, a playground and surfboard and boogie board rental. A concession stand runs daily from Easter to Thanksgiving.
Dogs, alcohol and glass are not allowed on the beach. Floating beach wheelchairs and mobility mats have been donated to help people with disabilities reach the water. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Surf cam
A free, ad-free live webcam shows the surf at D St., the main beach and the volleyball courts. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Where the numbers come from
The method
Kiwi takes Open-Meteo's wave and wind models (ECMWF WAM, Météo-France, NOAA GFS and Open-Meteo's best-match blend) at a point about 5 km off Moonlight Beach. There is no buoy correction here yet: these are the models as they come.
Each hour is scored on the four rules above (swell, wind, tide, size). The stars are calibrated on a full year of data for USA, so 4 stars at Moonlight Beach is a genuinely good day by that country's standard.
What we can say
The season chart and the stars use the same rules, replayed on the archive: a month marked good was good by these rules, not by a surf report.
Without a buoy nearby, the size at the beach is our model's estimate, not a measurement.
Moonlight Beach surf questions
Is Moonlight Beach good for beginners?
Our setup rates it for all levels, but the crowds, closeouts and rips call for care. The wave now breaks hard and fast, and lifeguard towers are open from 10 am to 6 pm in summer.
When is the best time to surf Moonlight Beach?
November and January were the most reliable months, with 77% of days rated 4 or better, and August was close behind at 74%. June and July were the weakest months.
How cold is the water at Moonlight Beach in December?
The sea averages about 17.4°C in December.
Is there a Moonlight Beach surf cam?
Yes, there is a free live webcam with views of the surf at D St., the main beach and the volleyball courts.
What tide is best at Moonlight Beach?
Our forecast favours mid tide. The wave is also said to break best on a south-west swell with a rising tide.
Where do you park for Moonlight Beach?
There is a parking lot above the beach, open from 5 am to 10 pm.
Check the Moonlight Beach surf report before you go
Look at the hourly table for an east wind, mid tide and waves of 0.8–1.8 m, then head down to the sand.