🇺🇸 Dana Point, California
Salt Creek Beach Surf Report
Live conditions · Updated every 30 minutes · Always free
Last updated: 1:00 PM PDT
8
/10
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Great surf today. waist to chest high waves (2.8ft), glassy conditions, incoming tide. Consistent and clean — well worth the session.
⏱ Best time to paddle out
10AM – 12PM
Score 8/10 · Great
Current Conditions
Wave Height
2.8ft
0.84m open ocean · 0.62m swell
Breaking waves typically 60–80% of this
Swell Period
14.1s
✓ Groundswell
Wind
Glassy
N · Perfect surface ✓
Water Temp
63°F
17°C · 2/2mm or 3/2mm wetsuit
Current Tide
2.65ft
↑ Rising · MLLW
Best Window Today
10AM–12PM
Score 8/10 · Great
Today's Surf Timeline
Hourly surf score from 5am to 9pm. Taller bar = better conditions. Best window highlighted in teal.
5AM
7
2.9ft
6AM
7
2.9ft
7AM
8
2.8ft
8AM
7
2.8ft
9AM
7
2.8ft
10AM
8
2.8ft
11AM
8
2.8ft
12PM
8
2.8ft
1PM
8
2.8ft
2PM
8
2.8ft
3PM
8
2.8ft
4PM
8
2.8ft
5PM
8
2.8ft
6PM
8
2.8ft
7PM
8
2.9ft
8PM
8
2.9ft
9PM
8
2.9ft
■ Epic/Great
■ Good
■ Fair
■ Poor
Today's Tides
Low Tide
7:20 AM
-1.173 ft
High Tide
2:24 PM
3.589 ft
Low Tide
6:28 PM
2.659 ft
Tide data from NOAA station — Dana Point, California. Times shown in Pacific Time.
Salt Creek Beach Surf Guide
Break type Beach & Reef Break
Skill level Beginner to Advanced
Best season September – November & March – May
Best swell SW to NW, 3–6 ft
Best wind Early morning offshore E
Best tide Mid tide
Crowds Moderate — less intense than Trestles
Parking Paid parking at Salt Creek Beach Park — arrive early.
Salt Creek Beach delivers reliable, accessible surf in Dana Point. The beach break serves up consistent peaks on almost any swell, while a reef section further south produces more defined, hollow waves for experienced surfers on solid SW and NW swells.
Best Months to Surf Salt Creek Beach
Jan
NW swells, cold mornings, less crowds
Feb
Consistent NW, great off-peak sessions
Mar
Mixed swells, ideal shoulder season
Apr
Consistent and less crowded
May
Smaller surf, warm water building
Jun
Small S swells, crowded summer begins
Jul
S swell season, beach break peaks
Aug
Best S swells, warm water
Sep
S + NW combo, excellent conditions
Oct
Peak season, offshore winds return
Nov
NW swells building, less crowds
Dec
Solid NW groundswell, cold water