Blacks Beach
United States · North America
Right now
OvercastWind and swell direction
Swell: 0.4m WSW
Wind: 4 km/h NE (offshore)
Beach faces: W
Very light wind. Expect glassy, clean conditions.
Swell is arriving at a great angle for this beach.
Today hour by hour
Updated 08:35Expected crowds
Prediction model v16amDawn patrol territory
7amMidweek quiet
Next 7 days
Forecast via Open-MeteoWhat to pack
- 3/2mm wetsuit or spring suit for 19°C water.
- Small waves expected. Longboard or fish to make the most of it.
Today's briefing
0.5m swell at 13s with good period. Onshore wind creating some chop. Water temperature 18°C.
AI-generated summary for Blacks Beach. Always check local reports before heading out.
Forecast accuracy at Blacks Beach
Not enough data yet. Log a session to help build the accuracy score.
Best time to go
No great windows in the next 2 days
Best available option is Tomorrow around 6am (score: 15). Conditions are below the Good threshold but may still be surfable.
Crowd report
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Session journal
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Create free accountTide
Approximate modelSwell forecast
7-day forecastDaily score breakdown
This week is looking about average for late April.
Comparing the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Blacks Beach.
What's driving it
Recent form
Last 3 days of logged conditions.
About Blacks Beach
Blacks Beach is a highly powerful beach break located in San Diego, California, fundamentally defined by the deep-water Scripps Canyon situated immediately offshore. This submarine trench prevents the attenuation of approaching deep-water swells, funnelling raw, concentrated ocean energy directly onto the nearshore sandbars. When a long-period westerly groundswell strikes these compacted sandbanks, the abrupt deceleration causes the waves to jack violently and pitch heavy, cylindrical lips. An easterly offshore wind is necessary to hold the wave face open and combat the prevalent morning marine layer. The combination of concentrated wave energy, shifting peaks, and regular hold-downs renders Blacks Beach strictly suitable for advanced surfers. It produces extremely fast, hollow A-frames that require split-second take-offs and precise tube-riding mechanics. The sheer volume of water moving across the breaks frequently generates severe littoral rip currents, demanding excellent physical endurance and robust ocean-reading capabilities from anyone navigating the line-up.
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Create Profile →Frequently asked questions
How often is this page updated?
Current conditions refresh every 6 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
What is the luck factor?
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Blacks Beach. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical late April.
How is 'best session' picked?
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Where does the data come from?
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Does the score capture local knowledge?
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
When is the best time to surf Blacks Beach?
Check our timing score heatmap above for a week-by-week breakdown combining surf conditions with crowd pressure.