Oceanside surf forecast
Oceanside Pier is a west-facing beach break that picks up swell from the south round to the north-west, with waves for every level. Surfers ride both sides of the long wooden pier, which is the second longest of its kind on the US West Coast.
Oceanside surf report, hour by hour
The table shows wave size, swell direction, wind and tide for Oceanside Pier, hour by hour. The break works best with waves of about 1 to 2 m, wind from the east and a mid tide.
Updated 23:58next run 04:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
09:00–10:00 · glassy
Today 2 Nov
Worth it 06-10, clean overhead, offshore NE.
Best window: 06:00–10:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 04:08
- Low
- 09:22
- High
- 15:00
- Low
- 21:58
- Sunrise
- 06:08
- Sunset
- 16:56
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 3 Nov
Go 07-10, clean head-high, glassy.
Best window: 07:00–10:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 04:48
- Low
- 10:35
- High
- 16:24
- Low
- 22:45
- Sunrise
- 06:09
- Sunset
- 16:56
Every hour, 05–21
Wednesday 4 Nov
Go 06-10, clean head-high, offshore E.
Best window: 06:00–10:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 05:19
- Low
- 11:30
- High
- 17:17
- Low
- 23:25
- Sunrise
- 06:10
- Sunset
- 16:55
Every 3 hours
Thursday 5 Nov
Go 09-10, clean head-high, glassy.
Kiwi's best shot: 09:00–10:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 05:47
- Low
- 12:18
- High
- 18:13
- Low
- 23:56
- Sunrise
- 06:11
- Sunset
- 16:54
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Oceanside (33.194, -117.386). 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 first. Wind from the east blows offshore here. In one sample forecast, mornings were clean in a light north-east breeze and turned choppy once a west-north-west wind set in.
Surfing Oceanside Pier
Oceanside is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County. Surfing is popular on both the north and the south side of the pier. Expect a beach break with crowds and rips near the pier.
Oceanside Pier – north side
Beach breakAll levelsSurfers paddle out on the north side of the pier, and it is a popular spot. The beach faces west and takes swells from the south through to the north-west.
Rips run near the pier, so give the pilings plenty of room. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Oceanside Pier – south side
Beach breakCrowdedThe south side of the pier is also popular with surfers. The swell window runs from the south to the north-west.
It gets crowded, so sharing waves takes patience. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
What Oceanside 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 beach faces west, and its swell window runs from about 180° to 310°, so it takes swells from the south through to the north-west.
Wind
East wind is offshore
Wind from the east, around 70°, blows offshore here. Westerly wind blows straight onshore at a west-facing beach and roughens the surface.
Tide
Best around mid tide
Mid tide is the sweet spot at Oceanside Pier.
Size
One to two metres ideal
Waves of 1 to 2 m work best, and anything under 0.5 m is usually too small. Above about 3 m it gets too big for this beach.
Shortcut: look for a 1–2 m swell from the south to north-west, an east wind and a mid tide.
The best months to surf Oceanside
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Oceanside's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Nov–JanMost reliable stretch
November has the highest share of good days, at about 90%, and January follows at about 81%. Winter storms can also bring rip currents and hazardous beach conditions to this coast.
Feb–MaySteady, cooler water
Good days run from about 46% in February to 73% in April. The water stays around 17–19°C.
Jun–JulFewer top days
The share of good days drops to about 37–42%, the lowest of the year. Fair days are still common, at about 70–84%.
Aug–OctWarmest water
August is strong, with about 81% good days, then September and October ease to about 43–52%. The sea peaks at around 24°C in August.
Before you go
Rips and hazards
Rip currents form near the pier, so stay clear of the pilings and watch how the water moves before you paddle out.
Winter storms on this stretch of coast can bring rip currents, hazardous conditions and beach erosion. Visit Oceanside's live surf page points to Safe Beach Day for real-time ocean conditions. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · visitoceanside.org
Getting there
Oceanside sits on Interstate 5 and is the last city in San Diego County before Orange County when you drive north. It is about as far from downtown San Diego as it is from Aliso Viejo. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Parking
Pre-pay parking runs along Mission Ave, N. Pacific St, N. Myers and N. Cleveland St, and there are meters on Pier View Way.
Parking regulations are very strict, especially near the pier and the harbor. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Crowds and etiquette
The pier is a crowded break. Wait your turn, don't drop in, and keep clear of other surfers' lines.
Water temperature and wetsuit
From December to March the water sits around 17–18°C, so a 4/3 mm wetsuit is a good choice. In April, May and November it is about 18.5–19°C, and a 3/2 mm suit usually does the job.
From July to October the sea is around 22–24°C, so a springsuit or shorty is often enough. June sits near 20°C, where a 3/2 mm suit or a springsuit both work.
Best time of day
An east wind is offshore here, so look for calm mornings before any westerly breeze arrives. A sample forecast showed clean mornings each day, with choppier conditions around midday on some days. Sources: surfcaptain.com
Pier works and surf museum
A fire in April 2024 destroyed the old diner at the far end of the pier, and rebuilding is expected to begin in mid 2027.
The California Surf Museum is in downtown Oceanside, close to the pier. It shows surfboards from the early 1900s to today. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · 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 Oceanside. 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 Oceanside 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.
Oceanside surf questions
Is Oceanside good for beginners?
Oceanside Pier is a beach break that suits all levels. Beginners should stay well away from the pier, where rips form, and be ready for crowds.
When is the best time to surf Oceanside?
November has the highest share of good days, at about 90%, and January and August follow at about 81%. June and July have the fewest top days.
How cold is the water in Oceanside in December?
The sea averages about 17.4°C in December, so a 4/3 mm wetsuit is a comfortable choice.
Is there an Oceanside surf cam?
Visit Oceanside streams a live beach cam that shows the waves, the weather and surfers in the water.
Where do I park to surf Oceanside Pier?
You can use pre-pay parking on Mission Ave, N. Pacific St, N. Myers and N. Cleveland St, or the meters on Pier View Way. Parking regulations are very strict near the pier.
Which side of Oceanside Pier should I surf?
Both the north and the south side of the pier are popular with surfers. Keep your distance from the pier itself, because of the rips.
Check the Oceanside surf forecast before you go
Look at the hourly table for an east wind, a mid tide and waves of 1 to 2 m, then head down to the pier.