Best time to surf Santa Monica

The best time to surf at Santa Monica is January–February, December, with waves of about 1.6 m and water around 15°C.

Santa Monica, California (Los Angeles County), United States

Sports: Surfing

Best time to go: January–February, December

Santa Monica's wide sandy beach runs for kilometres along Santa Monica Bay on the west side of Los Angeles. Surfers ride the peaks near the pier and, most of all, at Bay Street, about 800 m south of the pier, a sand-bottomed beach break with lifeguard towers and parking along the beach.

The bay picks up south swells in summer and west to north-west swells in winter, with south-west usually best at Bay Street; the pier works best in a west-south-west swell, and winter brings the cleanest and most consistent waves. North-east winds are offshore, so mornings are often glassy before the afternoon sea breeze makes it choppy. Bay Street works through the tide, usually best on the rise, and the pier is often better at low tide. The Santa Monica pier weather station, 0.8 km away, records 15 knots or more on only about one day in twenty.

On small days the gentle waves suit beginners and surf schools; on any good day it is crowded. After rain, storm drains carry runoff into the bay, and Los Angeles County advises staying out of the water for about three days after a storm. The water is about 14 °C from January to March and 21 to 22 °C in August and September: a 4/3 in winter, a 3/2 or spring suit in summer.

Month by month at Santa Monica

January: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 5 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 15°C, air 18°C (nights 8°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 26 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 6; a day can have both
February: 3 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.6 m, water 15°C, air 19°C (nights 9°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 25 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 6; a day can have both
March: 4 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 15°C, air 19°C (nights 10°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 28 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 7; a day can have both
April: 2 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1.2 m, water 16°C, air 20°C (nights 12°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 29 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 2; a day can have both
May: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 1 m, water 17°C, air 20°C (nights 14°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 1; a day can have both
June: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 8 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 19°C, air 22°C (nights 16°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 1; a day can have both
July: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 21°C, air 25°C (nights 18°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 31 days, almost no rain
August: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 22°C, air 27°C (nights 19°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 31 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 1; a day can have both
September: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 7 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 22°C, air 26°C (nights 18°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 29 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 3; a day can have both
October: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 6 knots, waves 1.1 m, water 20°C, air 25°C (nights 15°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 2; a day can have both
November: 1 windy day (15+ knots), average wind 5 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 17°C, air 21°C (nights 10°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 27 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 4; a day can have both
December: 0 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 5 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 16°C, air 19°C (nights 9°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 26 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 5; a day can have both