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Imperial Beach
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
69Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 283kJ
- Wind
- E 5 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tue 3 · 56 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 233kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Wed 4 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 262kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 77 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 177kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Fri 6 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 70kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sat 7 · 77 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 220kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 150kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 162, good
- Mon 266, good
- Tue 356, fair
- Wed 476, good
- Thu 577, good
- Fri 634, too small
- Sat 777, good
- Sun 860, good
- Mon 948, fair
- Tue 1065, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in Nov5 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 62, good | 3 ft12 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 329kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 66, good | 3 ft12 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 283kJ | offshorewind from the east, 5 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 56, fair | 3 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 233kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 76, good | 3 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 262kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 77, good | 4 ft8 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 177kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 34, too small | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 70kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 77, good | 3 ft10 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 220kJ | offshorewind from the east, 2 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 60, good | 3 ft10 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 150kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 48, fair | 3 ft10 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 134kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 65, good | 3 ft10 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 163kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 26°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovHigh 03:32 +0.3 mLow 07:38 +0.1 mHigh 13:35 +0.6 mLow 21:15 −0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:24 +0.4 mLow 09:37 −0.1 mHigh 15:14 +0.6 mLow 22:15 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:04 +0.6 mLow 10:53 −0.3 mHigh 16:36 +0.5 mLow 23:05 −0.8 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Imperial Beach on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Imperial Beach
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More surf near here
5 places
- Sloughs 3.6 km away
- Playas de Tijuana 5.8 km away
- Coronado 13.1 km away
- Baja Malibu 18.1 km away
- Pianos 19.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Imperial Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (249°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (69°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.6 km out (1 in 156). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually November, with about 5 good days in 7; in March, April and May, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Imperial Beach, 0 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,080–US$1,970 each
about US$1,080–US$1,970 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SAN, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$516 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$40–US$74 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,080–US$1,970 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
1 min by car · 12 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Imperial Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Tijuana on Booking.com
16 min by car · 136 places to stay · about US$67 a night, country average
- Beds in Coronado on Booking.com
23 min by car · 43 places to stay · about US$114 a night, country average
Room prices are our estimate of a 2-star double room's average in each country that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 6h 40m
About 6h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SAN, direct, then 40 min by road
Flights MDW → SAN on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.