Southern California Surf Forecast: Small Waves One to Three Feet Today and Friday, Perfect Beginner Conditions

Good morning! This is your surf zone forecast for Southern California, brought to you by the National Weather Service in San Diego. Let's kick things off with Orange County. If you're planning to paddle out today, expect small but fun surf with heights running one to three feet, with some sets reaching up to four feet. The swell is wrapping in from the west-northwest at 260 degrees, so you'll want to pick your breaks accordingly. The water's sitting at a comfortable 62 to 69 degrees, so you can dial in your wetsuit thickness. Rip current risk stays low, which is good news for everyone in the lineup. No thunderstorms are expected, so you won't have to worry about lightning strikes interrupting your session. Looking at the tides in Newport Beach, we've got a low of minus point one feet early this morning at 5:12, followed by a high of 4.3 feet around 11:15. Then another low of point seven feet hits around 5 PM, with the day ending strong on a high tide of 5.4 feet right before midnight. Friday in Orange County stays consistent with today's pattern. You're looking at the same one to three foot surf, sets to four feet, but now we've got a mixed swell coming from both 260 and 180 degrees, which should add some interesting texture to the waves. Rip currents remain low, and conditions stay thunderstorm-free. The tide schedule shifts a bit with a low of minus point one feet at 5:47 AM, a high of 3.9 feet at 11:53 AM, another low of 1.1 feet at 5:16 PM, and a high of 5.3 feet at 11:33 PM. Now let's head down to San Diego County. Today's conditions down in La Jolla bring you the same small swell heights of one to three feet with sets occasionally touching four feet. The swell's coming straight from the west at 280 degrees. Water temps are slightly cooler than Orange County, ranging from 63 to 65 degrees, so break out that extra millimeter of neoprene if you need it. Rip current risk is low, and you won't see any thunderstorm activity. La Jolla's tides show a low of minus point two feet at 5:06 AM, a high of 4.2 feet at 11:09 AM, another low of point six feet at 4:51 PM, and a high of 5.2 feet at 11:04 PM. Friday in San Diego stays steady with one to three foot surf and sets to four feet, but here's where it differs from Orange County: you're just getting consistent swell from 280 degrees, no mixed direction this time. That means cleaner, more predictable wave patterns. Same low rip current risk and no thunderstorms expected. Tides shift to a low of minus point two feet at 5:41 AM, a high of 3.8 feet at 11:47 AM, another low of one foot at 5:12 PM, and finishing with a high of 5.2 feet at 11:26 PM. Bottom line: whether you're in Orange County or San Diego, you're looking at a fun couple of days of small, manageable surf. It's perfect conditions for beginners, a good time to work on technique, or if you're just looking to get some salt water therapy without dealing with massive crowds. Get out there and enjoy it! For more http://www.quietplease.ai G