Two Solid NW Ground Swells This Week - SoCal

MONDAY

Monday starts off with lingering wind swell left over from Sunday. We'll see 4-5 ft waves near San Diego with 3-ft waves extending as far north as Oceanside. Ventura/Oxnard should see 3-ft waves firth thing in the morning too. Unfortunately, these waves don't look the best for surfing as periods range from 8-10 seconds for most thanks to strong winds further offshore. Nearshore winds shouldn't be too bad at around 10 mph blowing offshore for most of the coast.

The swell continues its decline through the afternoon with 4-ft waves struggling to hold on for San Diego. Ventura should still see 3-ft waves but other than these two spots, waves stay around 2-ft and under. Periods at least lengthen as the winds further offshore come down. We should see 14 seconds for almost everyone, making for what could be a good surf opportunity for beginners. A moderate afternoon onshore breeze is expected with winds around 10-15 mph.

TUESDAY

The swell backs off even further overnight Monday, leaving Tuesday morning to start off pretty boring. Waves range from 1-2 ft for everyone except Ventura and San Diego where 3-ft heights could still be possible. Morning winds look light and variable with speeds not expected to exceed 5 mph. Periods, too, look ideal at 14 seconds for the majority of the coast.

By early afternoon, the next swell moves in from the northwest. This one, unlike the last, will be a ground swell resulting in much better surf conditions. It'll take a while for waves to build up, but we should see 4-ft waves return to San Diego by Tuesday evening. other west facing beaches will stick closer to 3-ft heights. The new ground swell should bring in at least 13 second periods, good for surfing. Afternoon and evening winds look light to moderate from the onshore direction at around 10 mph.

WEDNESDAY

The northwest ground swell continues growing through Tuesday night to produce larger waves by Wednesday morning. San Diego should see 4-5 ft with Ventura getting at least 4-ft heights. Manhattan Beach misses out on most of the action and shouldn't get anything over 3-ft in height. Periods continue to stay nice through Wednesday morning at 16 seconds for almost everyone. A light offshore wind at 5-10 mph is also expected. This is probably going to be the best surf opportunity all week!

Waves grow just slightly through the early afternoon before reaching their peak. The peak honestly doesn't look too much different from the morning, however. The biggest change is going to be a slight chance for thunderstorms in the afternoon. Most of the rain will stay confined to the north of LA with rainfall totals staying relatively light. We should see any rain wrap up by Thursday morning.

THURSDAY

As mentioned, any rain should be done by the time the sun rises Thursday. The swell comes down slightly Wednesday night but should hold stead through Thursday morning. This is mostly due to another northwest ground swell moving in as the first one dissipates. San Diego is expected to see 4-5 ft waves all morning with Ventura experiencing 3-4 ft heights. Other west facing shores will see 2-3 ft heights with south facing shores seeing 1-2 ft waves.

The new ground swell comes in from a more westerly direction than the first two swells this week. This means that waves will be larger with a 6-7 ft ground swell expected Thursday evening near San Diego. Ventura should see at least 5 ft waves with periods across the board ranging from 13 to 14 seconds. Winds stay light and variable in the afternoon with speeds around 5 mph. All around this looks like another great surf window!