Sunset Cliffs
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Hourly Forecast
Timezone: America/Los_Angeles
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Wednesday 03
Thursday 04
Friday 05
Saturday 06
Sunday 07
Monday 08
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Sunset Cliffs surf guide

Sunset Cliffs is a unique surf spot located along the coastline, offering a range of waves that attract surfers year-round. The area features rocky cliffs and sharp reefs, making it essential for surfers to navigate these natural barriers for access. While it can get crowded, the vibe can be a bit stuffy, and you might encounter some unfriendly locals. The surf here is best from October to March, but you can find decent conditions throughout the year.

When it comes to the surf, Sunset Cliffs handles swells from the W, WNW, and SW, producing waves that typically range from shoulder high (about 1 meter) to double overhead (around 3 meters). The waves can be fast and playful, especially when the conditions are right, with low to mid-tides being optimal. Generally, most of the breaks start to work well when the waves hit overhead, and you'll want to expect a lot of paddling, as accessing the better spots often involves navigating through thick kelp and seagrass. For wave types, you'll encounter both reef and point breaks, with waves breaking left and right.

Getting to Sunset Cliffs can be a bit tricky, as many breaks require hiking along cliff trails. Some areas are only accessible by boat. So, keep that in mind if you're planning to explore. Be prepared for a good workout if you want to hit all the different breaks, which can spread out over three miles. The local crowd factor tends to be moderate to heavy, making the surfing experience a mixed bag; just remember to respect the locals and mind the environment.

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby Sunset Cliffs

South Jetty/Dog Beach
California, United States
Beach break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
Ocean Beach Jetty
California, United States
Beach break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
Ocean Beach Pier
California, United States
Unknown break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
Sunset Cliffs
California, United States
Reef break, Point break, Offshore break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
Luscomb's
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
Rockslide
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
North Garbage
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
Sub
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
South Garbage
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
Ab (Abalone)
California, United States
Reef break
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thu 11
Fri 12
Sat 13
Sun 14
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Wind certainty

Wind certainty tells you how much the weather models agree on the forecast.

  • High certainty: Models agree closely; forecast is reliable.
  • Medium certainty: Some disagreement; conditions may shift slightly.
  • Low certainty: Models diverge; treat forecast with caution.

We calculate this by comparing wind speed, gust and direction from multiple models (like GFS, ECMWF, Arome, and Harmonie) and seeing how closely they match. They are weighted, meaning that some models count more than others, depending on how good they are for a certain spot.

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Readme

Welcome! If youโ€™re new to surf forecasting, check out this quick guide.

Forecast Table

The forecast table (the section on the page with all the numbers) is designed to pack as much information in the screen as possible. Although intimidating at first, it will help you make informed decisions about the waves faster, trust me :D. The table consists of roughly four sections, time and predictions, wind, waves, and tides:

๐Ÿ”ฎ Time and predictions section

Here we show the forecast thour and the overall surf quality prediction. This is determined based on the wave, wind and tide quality prediction. These individual predictions can be found on the forecast map.

๐Ÿ’จ Wind section

The first row on the table (with the ๐Ÿ’จ icon) shows wind speed, direction and gust. The more the wind speed the more aggressive the color (from blue, green, orange to red).

๐ŸŒŠ Wave section

The waves section consists of three rows, one for wave height and direction, one for period and one for wave energy. Our algorithm choices the "dominant wave". This is normally the first swell partition, but with heavy local storms it displays the wind waves. If that's the case, we display the numbers in italic and in gray.

๐ŸŒ’ Tide section

The tide section consists of a row with the actual heights per hour (measured at the half hour) and a table that displays the flow of the tide and the extremes (lows and highs).

Forecast map

The forecast map consists of arrows. These arrows represent all wave partitions (swell partitions and wind wave partition) and the wind. This allows you to see things like: a secondary swell or wind waves messes up the surf, or the wind is just a tick offshore so very surfable. Click a metric label in the bottom left to bring that arrow to the front โ€” handy when arrows overlap.

Forecast Cheat Sheet

Short on time? Focus on wave energy. Itโ€™s the best single metric to gauge how big and powerful the waves will be.

Click any table cell to jump to that forecast hour. The map will update with forecast arrows, so you can see if wind and swell direction are lining up.

Use the table sidebar to switch units for height and speed.

Log your surf sessions to compare forecasts with real sessions and sharpen future predictions.

Models and Updates

Surfnerd blends multiple global and local wind and swell models using advanced interpolation and spatial techniques to create an "ensemble" forecast. Forecasts are refreshed hourly.

Surf Predictions

Our AI-driven algorithm scores surf quality, shown by green, orange, and gray dots. Each forecast hour is rated for wind, swell, and tide quality, then combined into an overall score. Hereโ€™s the scale:

Perfect
Good
Average
Bad or No Data

Session logs also feed the algorithm โ€” the more you log, the smarter your forecasts get.

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