.jpg){kind=link}
South Carlsbad State Beach
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
45Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 3 ft swell at 12 s
Tue 3 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 290kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 56kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 115kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 86kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 80kJ
- Wind
- NW 3 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 76kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Mon 9 · 23 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 80kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 278, good
- Tue 364, good
- Wed 460, good
- Thu 547, fair
- Fri 631, too small
- Sat 731, too small
- Sun 826, too small
- Mon 923, too small
- Tue 1041, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 78, good | 4 ft13 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 360kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 64, good | 3 ft12 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 290kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 60, good | 4 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 56kJ | offshorewind from the east, 7 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 47, fair | 3 ft9 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 115kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 31, too small | 2 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 86kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 31, too small | 2 ft13 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 80kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft13 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 23, too small | 2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 80kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 41, too small | 2 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 108kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 24°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
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:27 +0.4 mLow 09:38 −0.1 mHigh 15:17 +0.6 mLow 22:19 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:07 +0.6 mLow 10:56 −0.3 mHigh 16:40 +0.5 mLow 23:10 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:42 +0.7 mLow 11:54 −0.5 mHigh 17:47 +0.5 mLow 23:52 −0.7 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
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 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 and its town
South Carlsbad State 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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
5 places
- Ponto 0.4 km away
- Uncle Cliffy's 1.7 km away
- Terra Mar Cove + Point 3 km away
- Grandview 3.2 km away
- Stone Steps 3.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About South Carlsbad State Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (247°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (67°). 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 moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 40). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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). The town to stay in is Carlsbad, 6.7 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 10 surf spots.
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$1,190–US$2,150 each
about US$1,190–US$2,150 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,190–US$2,150 |
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
about 15 min by car · 37 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Carlsbad its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Encinitas on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 27 places to stay
- Beds in Oceanside on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 67 places to stay
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and 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 7h 15m
About 7h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SAN, direct, then 1h 10m by road
Flights MDW → SAN on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.