Southern California Surf Forecast May 20-21: 4-7 Foot Waves North, Rip Current Warnings LA Ventura episode artwork

EPISODE · May 20, 2026 · 3 MIN

Southern California Surf Forecast May 20-21: 4-7 Foot Waves North, Rip Current Warnings LA Ventura

from Surf Report for Los Angeles California · host Inception Point AI

Good morning, this is your Southern California Surf Zone Forecast for Wednesday, May 20th and Thursday, May 21st. Let's start up north where things are getting interesting. San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara's central coast are firing with four to seven foot waves powered by a solid west swell. Water temps are chilly at fifty three to fifty five degrees, so a wetsuit is definitely your friend out there. If you're heading out, watch those tides. You've got a low of negative one point three feet in the morning around nine o nine, which means exposed reefs and sandbars are on the menu. Thursday stays consistent with the same four to seven foot range, though the swell direction shifts slightly to the northwest. Same cold water, so keep that wetsuit handy. Moving down the coast, Santa Barbara's southern and eastern shores are seeing smaller one to three foot peaks with that west swell, and the water's sitting around fifty five to fifty six degrees. Rip current risk is low, so conditions are pretty manageable down there. Thursday looks virtually identical, so if you're planning a trip to the Santa Barbara area, either day works beautifully. Now here's where things get spicy. Ventura County and the Malibu and Los Angeles County beaches are both showing moderate rip current risk for today and tomorrow. We're talking two to four foot surf with mixed south and west swells working together. Water temps are a bit warmer here, ranging from fifty nine degrees up in Ventura to sixty two to sixty four degrees down in Los Angeles County. That's still plenty chilly, but noticeably better than up north. The moderate rip current risk means life threatening rip currents are possible, so if you're not experienced with them, exercise caution or consider sitting this one out. Thursday maintains the same moderate risk with the same two to four foot heights and mixed swell conditions. One thing worth noting across the entire forecast, there's zero thunderstorm potential anywhere, so at least you won't have to worry about lightning. The winds and weather look stable throughout both days. So here's the bottom line. If you're a experienced surfer looking for some action, head north for bigger waves. If you prefer smaller, mellower conditions, Santa Barbara's your spot. And if you're in the LA or Ventura area, just be smart about those rip currents today and tomorrow. Check conditions in real time and never hesitate to ask the lifeguards for current intel before you paddle out. Stay safe out there, and enjoy the water. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

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Southern California Surf Forecast May 20-21: 4-7 Foot Waves North, Rip Current Warnings LA Ventura

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