THE SWELLMAGNET SO CAL SURF FORECAST
The Surf Forecast will be updated Wednesdays, Fridays and Mondays.Â
Southern California Surf 4cast Updated 4 – 17 – 2026Â
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SATURDAY Surf ForecastÂ
Pretty brutal week for surf… or lack there of. I had high hopes, well not high, but hope, for Friday morning, but apparently I need to get my forecasting calipers recalibrated. Here’s the CDIP model, (above), for noon today, and as you can see, the disparity between 310 degrees and 315 degrees makes all the difference in the world. 310 we’re in business, 315… we’re bobbing. Look at all of the colors skirting right on by. Oh well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.
As for Saturday morning, the NW wind swell will be dying out quickly, with just waist high leftovers for the morning.
Moving in as the headliner will be some SW energy from 195-200 degrees with 14-15 second intervals. That should be good for at least waist high + sets, with larger waves in the OC and San O’ areas.
Saturday
2026-04-18 Sat 04:43 AM -1.09′ Low
2026-04-18 Sat 06:19 AM Sunrise
2026-04-18 Sat 06:48 AM Moonrise
2026-04-18 Sat 11:01 AM 4.07′ High
2026-04-18 Sat 04:08 PM 1.30′ Low
2026-04-18 Sat 07:27 PM Sunset
2026-04-18 Sat 09:26 PM Moonset
2026-04-18 Sat 10:25 PM 6.40′ High
The Conditions – The winds look fair + with light and variable breezes until noon, and fairly tame onshore winds into the afternoon. The air temp climbs to 79 degrees.
SUNDAY Surf ForecastÂ
SW swell will be the only game in town. That same Southerly energy will be on the fade , but kick up waist to chest high sets for the top South facing breaks. Same angle: 195-200 degrees with 13-14 second intervals. The West facing breaks should be able to reel in some smaller sets, but the The OC and San O’ areas offer up the best chance to get waves.
Sunday
2026-04-19 Sun 05:33 AM -1.18′ Low
2026-04-19 Sun 06:17 AM Sunrise
2026-04-19 Sun 07:33 AM Moonrise
2026-04-19 Sun 11:59 AM 3.66′ High
2026-04-19 Sun 04:42 PM 1.72′ Low
2026-04-19 Sun 07:28 PM Sunset
2026-04-19 Sun 10:41 PM Moonset
2026-04-19 Sun 11:05 PM 6.32′ High
 The conditions – It should be clean until noon, with light and variable breezes and stronger SW winds will be taking over in the afternoon. The air temp dips to 74 degrees.
MONDAY Surf ForecastÂ
The work week starts off as a snoozer, with just some weak, knee to waist high surf up and down the coast. The South facing breaks should be slightly better, with a few, larger, straggler sets.
Monday
2026-04-20 Mon 06:16 AM Sunrise
2026-04-20 Mon 06:29 AM -1.05′ Low
2026-04-20 Mon 08:27 AM Moonrise
2026-04-20 Mon 01:08 PM 3.29′ High
2026-04-20 Mon 05:21 PM 2.15′ Low
2026-04-20 Mon 07:29 PM Sunset
2026-04-20 Mon 11:52 PM Moonset
2026-04-20 Mon 11:52 PM 6.03′ High
The Conditions – The winds look okay, with light and variable breezes until around 11:00AM, and stronger onshore winds into the afternoon. The air temp dips to 71 degrees.
TUESDAY Surf ForecastÂ
I’m going with a call for small surf on Tuesday morning for now. There are a couple iffy scenarios, but I’ll wading in with tempered expectations. Check back on Monday to see if anything worth mentioning gets on the radar.
Tuesday
2026-04-21 Tue 06:15 AM Sunrise
2026-04-21 Tue 07:35 AM -0.79′ Low
2026-04-21 Tue 09:29 AM Moonrise
2026-04-21 Tue 02:39 PM 3.09′ High
2026-04-21 Tue 06:11 PM 2.56′ Low
2026-04-21 Tue 07:30 PM Sunset
 The conditions – Looks like variable winds until 10AM, with stronger SW winds taking over in the afternoon. The air temp holds at 71 degrees.
WEDNESDAY Surf ForecastÂ
Same deal as nothing real noteworthy or tangible is looming on the horizon. If anything it will be some unimpressive swell on offer.
Wednesday
2026-04-22 Wed 12:50 AM 5.58′ High
2026-04-22 Wed 12:53 AM Moonset
2026-04-22 Wed 06:14 AM Sunrise
2026-04-22 Wed 08:51 AM -0.52′ Low
2026-04-22 Wed 10:38 AM Moonrise
2026-04-22 Wed 04:26 PM 3.21′ High
2026-04-22 Wed 07:30 PM Sunset
2026-04-22 Wed 07:39 PM 2.90′ Low
The Conditions – The winds look crummy with all day onshores. The air temp dips to 69 degrees.
Water temps: Temps are as follows: Malibu 62 degrees, Santa Monica 63 degrees, The South Bay 63 degrees, Huntington 64 degrees, Newport 64 degrees and Oceanside 66 degrees.
I’ll be back on Monday with the next update!
About the Swell Magnet Forecast
One of the most exciting–and yet most challenging–aspects of surfing is the sheer variety of waves and weather conditions that affect the entire surfing experience. Any surfer who is interested in going beyond the most basic level of surfing will have to develop the ability to interpret waves and environmental conditions. This is important for ensuring both a safe and enjoyable experience.
The main difficulty lies in predicting how exactly the ocean and the environment will behave at any given time. One day, you could be riding four-footers all day and the next, you might be facing a glasslike surface with nary a ripple. Conditions can change drastically from day-to-day and even within the space of a couple of hours. To avoid wasted time and unproductive trips to the surf, it is essential to have access to reliable information on surf conditions.
Sites such as Swellmagnet.com offer up-to-the-minute surf reports that are essential to all California surfers. The company relies on an extensive network of surf cams and surf experts in order to monitor the precise surf conditions on any given day. All information is collated and analyzed by qualified surf specialists, with the resulting data being provided to the public via the Swellmagnet site.
Swellmagnet provides some of the best surf reports in the industry, with accurate and verifiable results gathered via an innovative system of surf condition monitors and detectors. Expert surf analysis is provided by the company’s team of highly experienced specialists, each with long years of experience monitoring and actually experiencing the full range of surf conditions. This combination of state-of-the-art technology and extensive practical experience ensures the highest quality and most accurate surf reports available.
For surfers who wish to take full advantage of the best that the California coast has to offer, the services provided by Swellmagnet are essential.
