The last week of April has brought some larger-than-normal surf to San Diego’s beaches for this time of year, and the biggest waves are yet to come.
San Diego’s beaches saw waves of up to seven feet earlier in the week. The coast will get a brief break Friday and Saturday, before a larger swell arrives in time for the first weekend of May.
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WATCH HEREA northwest wind swell will begin building Saturday. By Sunday morning, the surf will peak with waves of 5 to 8 feet and some sets at exposed beaches up to 10 feet by early afternoon.
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SIGN UP Wind swells tend to create choppier waves. That — combined with strong winds and possible rain from a passing storm system on Sunday — means surf conditions will not be ideal.
The surf will decrease early next week, but rip current danger can often remain elevated for several days after a large swell.
As a side note, this is the time of year the water starts to warm back up from its colder wintertime temperatures. As of this week, water temperatures measured by buoys off the coast ranged from 60 to 64 degrees, which is nearly a 10-degree jump since the start of the month. The water off Scripps Pier measured 63 degrees on Tuesday, compared with 54 degrees back on April 6. Water temperatures in San Diego usually bottom out in February or March, and peak in August or September.
