El Capitan Surf Report & Forecast
California
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Current Surf Conditions at El Capitan
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Last Updated:10h ago
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🌊 Surf Quality Timeline (Week)
Best windows in greenSat
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
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🌊 Surf Quality Timeline
Best windows in green12AM6AM12PM6PM11PM
🌬️ WIND
N
E
S
W
5
kt
kt
🌊 SWELL
N
E
S
W
1.9
ft
ft
SWELL
HEIGHT
HEIGHT
1.9ft
SWELL
PERIOD
PERIOD
7s
WIND GUSTS
7kt
AIR TEMP
15°C
SECONDARY
SWELL
SWELL
1.2ft @
14s
14s
PRECIPITATION
0mm
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📊 7-Day Detailed Forecast
Expandable daily forecasts with hourly details| Time | Quality | Swell Height | Period | Swell Dir | Wind Speed | Wind Dir | Gusts | Air Temp | Water Temp | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | FAIR | 1.3ft | 9s | WSW | 3kt | N | 2kt | 10°C | 16°C | 0mm |
| 1:00 AM | GOOD | 1.3ft | 10s | WSW | 2kt | N | 2kt | 9°C | 16°C | 0mm |
| 2:00 AM | EXCELLENT | 1.3ft | 11s | WSW | 2kt | N | 2kt | 9°C | 16°C | 0mm |
| 3:00 AM | EXCELLENT | 1.4ft | 10s | WSW | 2kt | N | 2kt | 9°C | 15°C | 0mm |
| 4:00 AM | GOOD | 1.6ft | 8s | WSW | 2kt | NNE | 2kt | 9°C | 15°C | 0mm |
| 5:00 AM | GOOD | 1.7ft | 7s | W | 2kt | NNE | 2kt | 9°C | 15°C | 0mm |
| 6:00 AM | GOOD | 1.8ft | 7s | W | 2kt | ENE | 2kt | 10°C | 15°C | 0mm |
| 7:00 AM | GOOD | 1.9ft | 7s | W | 3kt | E | 3kt | 11°C | 15°C | 0mm |
| 8:00 AM | GOOD | 1.9ft | 7s | W | 3kt | ESE | 3kt | 12°C | 15°C | 0mm |
| 9:00 AM | GOOD | 1.9ft | 7s | W | 4kt | SE | 5kt | 14°C | 15°C | 0mm |
| 10:00 AM | FAIR | 1.9ft | 7s | W | 5kt | SE | 7kt | 15°C | 15°C | 0mm |
| 11:00 AM | FAIR | 1.9ft | 7s | W | 7kt | SSE | 8kt | 17°C | 15°C | 0mm |
| 12:00 PM | POOR | 1.9ft | 7s | W | 7kt | SSE | 9kt | 17°C | 15°C | 0mm |
| 1:00 PM | POOR | 1.9ft | 7s | W | 8kt | SSE | 10kt | 17°C | 16°C | 0mm |
| 2:00 PM | POOR | 1.8ft | 7s | W | 9kt | SSE | 11kt | 18°C | 16°C | 0mm |
| 3:00 PM | POOR | 1.8ft | 7s | WSW | 8kt | SSE | 11kt | 17°C | 16°C | 0mm |
| 4:00 PM | FAIR | 1.8ft | 7s | WSW | 7kt | S | 10kt | 16°C | 16°C | 0mm |
| 5:00 PM | FAIR | 1.8ft | 7s | WSW | 6kt | S | 10kt | 16°C | 16°C | 0.1mm |
| 6:00 PM | FAIR | 1.8ft | 7s | WSW | 6kt | SSE | 8kt | 14°C | 16°C | 0.1mm |
| 7:00 PM | GOOD | 1.8ft | 7s | WSW | 5kt | SSE | 7kt | 13°C | 16°C | 0.2mm |
| 8:00 PM | GOOD | 1.8ft | 7s | WSW | 4kt | SSE | 5kt | 11°C | 16°C | 0.2mm |
| 9:00 PM | GOOD | 1.7ft | 8s | WSW | 5kt | SSE | 6kt | 11°C | 16°C | 0.2mm |
| 10:00 PM | GOOD | 1.6ft | 9s | WSW | 5kt | SSE | 8kt | 11°C | 16°C | 0.3mm |
| 11:00 PM | FAIR | 1.5ft | 10s | WSW | 6kt | SSE | 9kt | 12°C | 16°C | 0.3mm |
Sunday
Apr 12EXCELLENT16 excellent hours
🌊 1.1-5.3ft 💨 3-7kt 🌡️ 8-16°C
Monday
Apr 13EXCELLENT13 excellent hours
🌊 0.8-4.8ft 💨 3-13kt 🌡️ 7-20°C
Tuesday
Apr 14FAIR8 excellent hours
🌊 0.6-2.6ft 💨 2-7kt 🌡️ 8-20°C
Wednesday
Apr 15GOOD2 excellent hours
🌊 0.6-2.0ft 💨 2-6kt 🌡️ 9-22°C
Thursday
Apr 16EXCELLENT9 excellent hours
🌊 0.6-3.0ft 💨 1-12kt 🌡️ 6-21°C
Friday
Apr 17FAIR4 excellent hours
🌊 0.6-3.3ft 💨 3-11kt 🌡️ 7-23°C
Forecast Summary
Best Day:Check forecast for optimal conditions
Average Swell:2.5ft @ 9s
Wind Conditions:2-9kt N
Water Temperature:15-16°C
Local Knowledge & Surf Guide
Local Knowledge
El Capitan in Santa Barbara is a fairly exposed reef and point break known for inconsistent surf, with the best conditions typically occurring in Winter. It favors distant groundswells from the west combined with offshore winds from the north. The spot often gets crowded, and surfers should be cautious of rocks as a significant hazard. December is the prime month for consistent clean, rideable waves at El Capitan.
Best Swell Direction: S
Bottom Type: Reef
Location: County: Santa Barbara County | State: California | Country: United States | Road: El Capitan State Beach Road | Full Address: El Capitan State Beach Road, Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Ideal Conditions
This spot performs best under these specific conditions. Forecasts take these into account when rating surf quality.
Ideal Swell DirectionW
Ideal Wind DirectionN
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