Sunset Cliffs

Sunset Cliffs is a W-facing reef break in San Diego County, California, United States. It picks up swell from SSE and S to SSW and SSW to W, and land, islands, reefs or shallow banks block about 50% of the directions it faces. Offshore wind here blows from the E: light winds or E breezes usually mean the cleanest surf, while W onshores chop it up.

Rare slot: a Channel Islands gap lets in swell from 292.8° (WNW) and nothing either side. It only lines up when a storm sits in that exact direction, more than 294 km out. How slot swells work

Break

Reef

Faces

W (260°)

Best swell

SW to WNW (220°–300°), 11 s or longer

Best wind

NE to SE offshore, or glassy

Best surf height

4–12 ft at the beach

Swell window

SSE (161.5° to 168.5°); S to SSW (174.5° to 192°); SSW to W (195° to 275.5°)

Rare slot

Channel Islands gap, 292.8° WNW

Offshore wind

E

Tide

NOAA station 9410166

Wave buoy

La Jolla, CA (073) · 16 km away

Cams

None yet