South Carlsbad State Beach

South Carlsbad State Beach is a reef break over mixed, usually breaking in the 0.5–1.5m range, and how suitable it is for beginners really depends on the size and power on the day — not a fixed label. Set the level to Beginner above and WaveCheck flags the smaller, cleaner hours worth paddling out for.

Different days call for different boards. South Carlsbad State Beach handles a range of boards — a longboard or fish when it's small, a shortboard when there's more push. Tap through the boards above to see the live score for whatever you'll be riding.

Look for 0.5–1.5m of swell from the N with light offshore winds from the NE / E / SE. The 5-day forecast above scores every hour, so you can spot the window at a glance.