Bolsa Chica
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Now
Thu Nov 5 · 12–3 PM forecast
3–4 ftwaist to chest
Best tomorrow · Fri 6
Compare bothNothing good left today.
Best tomorrow · Fri 6, 8:45 to 9:30 AM Pacific.
then the wind turns onshore
2–3 ft · thigh to waist
Small waves, more fun on a longboard, and barely any wind keeps them smooth.
Show on chart ↓
Onshore: wind from sea to land. It can make the waves choppy.
Rising tide: the water level is going up; 1.5–4.0 ft is this spot’s best range.
Water temperature is in °F; a swimsuit is enough for warmer water, depending on how cold you feel. This is the latest water reading, not a forecast for the session.
Buoy-checked: a live ocean buoy near this spot keeps this forecast honest.
Bolsa Chica surf guide
Huntington Beach's long state beach, with slow, rolling waves for longboards · 2 things to watch
Bolsa Chica guide
Huntington Beach's long state beach, with slow, rolling waves for longboards.
- Good for
- Beginners and longboarders on most days.
- The wave
- Soft lefts and rights over sand, with a short paddle.
- Watch for
- Closeouts once it gets big.
- Surf camps and weekend crowds.
- Best when
- Best on a S to W swell (170°–280°) with NE offshore wind, at mid tide (about 1.5–4 ft).
MoreLess about Bolsa Chica
Longboards at 1.5–4 ft. Most consistent in spring and summer.
At the south end, the jetties by the wetlands outlet shape steeper, sometimes hollow waves that draw the stronger surfers. Learners do best farther north, where it's mellow.
Locals like it as the quiet end of Huntington, and it makes a calmer warm-up than the crowded pier.
- Local tip
- Go early: the wind tends to chop it up by late morning. Parking is in the state beach lot, which charges a day fee.
GOOD TIDE TODAY8:50–11:00 AM2:45–5:22 PM
Guide updated October 2026
Spot research: WannaSurf, Wikipedia, Surf-Forecast, SoCal Forecast, Deepswell, American Surf Magazine, The Surf Atlas and California State Parks.
Send a spot correctionNo cam for this spot yet.
Live buoy San Pedro South
- WAVES
- 3.3 ft
- PERIOD
- 13s
- FROM
- SW 233°
- WATER
- 75°
Observed 1:30 PM · 53 min old
7-day surf
LB longboard · SB shortboard
Thu 12 PM · now
3–4 ft · waist to chest ·
10 mph onshore · tide 0.9 ft falling
Swell near the beach: 2.9 ft every 11 s from WSW
| Time | Surf | Rating | Wind | Tide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 12 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 2 mph, gusts 3, glassy | 0.6 ft and rising |
| Thu 3 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair–Good | 3 mph, gusts 6, offshore | 2.9 ft and rising |
| Thu 6 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 4 mph, gusts 12, offshore | 5.5 ft and rising |
| Thu 9 AM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 3 mph cross-offshore | 3.7 ft and falling |
| Thu 12 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor | 10 mph onshore | 0.9 ft and falling |
| Thu 3 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor | 13 mph, gusts 15, onshore | 1.8 ft and rising |
| Thu 6 PM | 3–4 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 6 mph, gusts 12, cross-onshore | 4.3 ft and rising |
| Thu 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 5 mph, gusts 6, offshore | 3.2 ft and falling |
| Fri 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 5 mph, gusts 7, offshore | 1.0 ft and falling |
| Fri 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 5 mph cross-offshore | 2.6 ft and rising |
| Fri 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor–Fair | 5 mph offshore | 5.6 ft and rising |
| Fri 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Poor–Fair | 1 mph, gusts 2, glassy | 4.4 ft and falling |
| Fri 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor | 9 mph, gusts 10, onshore | 0.8 ft and falling |
| Fri 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor | 9 mph, gusts 11, onshore | 0.7 ft and rising |
| Fri 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 5 mph, gusts 8, cross-onshore | 3.7 ft and rising |
| Fri 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 7 mph, gusts 10, offshore | 3.7 ft and falling |
| Sat 12 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 7 mph, gusts 11, offshore | 1.5 ft and falling |
| Sat 3 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor–Fair | 7 mph, gusts 14, offshore | 2.4 ft and rising |
| Sat 6 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor | 12 mph, gusts 30, offshore | 5.5 ft and rising |
| Sat 9 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor | 7 mph, gusts 12, offshore | 5.0 ft and falling |
| Sat 12 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor | 8 mph cross-offshore | 1.2 ft and falling |
| Sat 3 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor | 9 mph cross-onshore | 0.0 ft and rising |
| Sat 6 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 11 mph, gusts 13, cross-onshore | 2.8 ft and rising |
| Sat 9 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 2 mph glassy | 4.0 ft and falling |
| Sun 12 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 4 mph offshore | 2.1 ft and falling |
| Sun 3 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor | 4 mph, gusts 5, offshore | 2.3 ft and rising |
| Sun 6 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor | 4 mph, gusts 5, offshore | 5.3 ft and rising |
| Sun 9 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor | 2 mph, gusts 4, glassy | 5.5 ft and falling |
| Sun 12 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor | 4 mph onshore | 1.7 ft and falling |
| Sun 3 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor | 7 mph onshore | −0.4 ft and rising |
| Sun 6 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 6 mph onshore | 1.9 ft and rising |
| Sun 9 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 5 mph cross-offshore | 3.9 ft and falling |
| Mon 12 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 4 mph cross-offshore | 2.6 ft and falling |
| Mon 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Poor–Fair | 3 mph, gusts 4, offshore | 2.3 ft and rising |
| Mon 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Poor–Fair | 3 mph offshore | 5.0 ft and rising |
| Mon 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Poor–Fair | 3 mph, gusts 4, offshore | 5.8 ft and falling |
| Mon 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor–Fair | 4 mph onshore | 2.4 ft and falling |
| Mon 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor | 6 mph onshore | −0.4 ft and falling |
| Mon 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 6 mph onshore | 1.1 ft and rising |
| Mon 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 3 mph cross-onshore | 3.6 ft and rising |
| Tue 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair, dark hours | 1 mph glassy | 3.0 ft and falling |
| Tue 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Fair | 1 mph, gusts 2, glassy | 2.4 ft and rising |
| Tue 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Good, shortboard Poor–Fair | 2 mph glassy | 4.6 ft and rising |
| Tue 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor–Fair | 3 mph cross-offshore | 5.8 ft and falling |
| Tue 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor | 4 mph onshore | 3.1 ft and falling |
| Tue 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor | 7 mph onshore | −0.1 ft and falling |
| Tue 6 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Poor–Fair, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 6 mph onshore | 0.5 ft and rising |
| Tue 9 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 4 mph cross-onshore | 3.1 ft and rising |
| Wed 12 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor, dark hours | 2 mph glassy | 3.2 ft and falling |
| Wed 3 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor | 1 mph glassy | 2.5 ft and rising |
| Wed 6 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor | 2 mph glassy | 4.2 ft and rising |
| Wed 9 AM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair–Good, shortboard Poor | 1 mph, gusts 2, glassy | 5.7 ft and falling |
| Wed 12 PM | 1–2 ft | Longboard Fair, shortboard Poor | 5 mph onshore | 3.7 ft and falling |
| Wed 3 PM | Waves unavailable | Longboard Unavailable, shortboard Unavailable | 9 mph onshore | 0.5 ft and falling |
| Wed 6 PM | Waves unavailable | Longboard Unavailable, shortboard Unavailable, dark hours | 8 mph onshore | 0.2 ft and rising |
| Wed 9 PM | Waves unavailable | Longboard Unavailable, shortboard Unavailable, dark hours | 5 mph onshore | 2.4 ft and rising |
Today’s tide
GOOD 8:50–11:00 AM2:45–5:22 PM
Balboa Pier · feet above low water
Swell
Primary ·
WSW258°
Secondary ·
SSW192°
Primary is the main displayed swell by wave energy; another swell can affect this spot more because of its direction.
Period: seconds between waves; longer gaps usually mean more powerful waves, depending on size and direction.
Secondary is another swell in the water; it can add waves from a different direction.
Period: seconds between waves; longer gaps usually mean more powerful waves, depending on size and direction.
Wave forecast checked against the live San Pedro South buoy.
Updated 2:03 PM · CDIP/Scripps, Open-Meteo and NOAA.
Common questions
Is Bolsa Chica good for beginners?
Yes, it’s a good place to learn.
What tide is best at Bolsa Chica?
It’s best at mid tide (about 1.5–4 ft).
What swell works at Bolsa Chica?
A S to W swell (170°–280°) is best, with NE offshore wind. It picks up swell from SSE to WNW (160°–295°). Most consistent in spring and summer.
What board should I ride at Bolsa Chica?
It’s mainly a longboard wave, best at 1.5–4 ft.
What should I watch out for at Bolsa Chica?
Closeouts once it gets big; and surf camps and weekend crowds.