Report Date: Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 8:11 PM PDT
The current surf conditions at El Porto present wave heights averaging in the 2 to 3 foot range with sets reaching waist to chest high, delivering fair quality surf overall. Spectral data from CDIP Station 213 (Point La Jolla) and the primary offshore buoys reveal a energy profile dominated by a long-period southerly swell running at 3.0 feet at 17 seconds from 202 degrees South-Southwest, alongside a minor short-period westerly wind chop registering at 2.6 feet at 6 seconds. Because the wave energy is arriving predominantly from a deep southern angle, the sandbars at El Porto are offering fun, workable shoulders with light localized texture.
Nearby marine observations confirm stable swell propagation across the Santa Monica Bay and adjacent waters. Ocean conditions at the Santa Monica Bay Buoy (Station 46025) indicate a primary swell of 3.0 feet with a 17-second period coming from 202° South-Southwest. Farther south, CDIP Station 092 at San Pedro South records a primary swell reading of 3.0 feet at 15 seconds from 180° South, while Topanga Nearshore registers a similar 2.6 feet at 15 seconds from 204° South-Southwest. Water temperatures across the Santa Monica Bay remain warm, hovering at an inviting 71.1°F.
Current coastal weather features mild, pleasant conditions with an evening air temperature sitting near 68°F under mostly clear skies. Onshore light winds from the west-northwest are blowing around 4 to 8 knots, gently glassing over the late evening lineup. For the remainder of the evening, the marine weather forecast from NOAA indicates continuing clear to partly cloudy conditions with light onshore breezes diminishing overnight, leaving calm ocean waters into early Monday morning.
Tide observations for the area indicate that a high tide of 4.7 feet occurred earlier at 3:00 PM, while the final low tide for the day will bottom out at 1.3 feet at 11:20 PM. Tomorrow's outlook promises continuing small-to-mid scale South-Southwest swell energy holding in the 2 to 3 foot plus range, with morning light offshore winds giving way to afternoon westerly breezes around 10 to 12 knots.
raw data from noaa, curated by surforecast pacificwaverider
Credits and References: Oceanographic data provided by Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) / Scripps Institution of Oceanography and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Data Buoy Center.