Surf spot

Bay Street, Santa Monica

Forecast conditions and map view for Bay Street, Santa Monica in USA, California, LA County. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, LA County
Coordinates: 34.0044, -118.4930

Metric
Metric	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00
Wave height (m)	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.9	1.1	1.1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	1.1	1.1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4
Wave direction	SSW	SW	SW	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	WSW	WSW	W	SW	SW	SW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	SW	SW	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW
Wave period (s)	12.6	9.5	9.3	9.1	11.9	11.9	11.8	11.8	11.7	6	6	5.8	8.8	11.3	11.3	4.6	5	5.5	5.6	5.7	6	6	5.8	5.8	6	6	6	6	6	5.8	5.8	6	5.9	5.8	7	5.9	6	5.8	5.5	6.6	6.3	9.8	9.8	9.9	13.2	13.1	12.8	12.8	12.6	12.3	12.3	12.2	11.9	11.8	12.7	12.7
Wave energy (kJ)	106	65	62	60	90	83	75	75	73	31	31	26	42	41	41	31	57	67	68	62	65	56	50	62	90	92	70	64	56	44	40	35	30	35	46	34	33	28	22	24	17	34	34	35	55	60	58	57	56	54	58	57	60	58	47	46
Wind speed (km/h)	7.7	8.3	7.6	11.9	14.6	11.3	6.7	7.1	7.8	7.8	7	11.2	14	12.5	8.9	6.8	5.5	4.5	5.2	11.3	13.4	11.7	7.7	7.2	7.7	9.2	8.2	10	16.2	12.3	5.9	7.1	9	9.5	10.5	13.3	17	12	7.4	5.4	6.6	6.7	5.2	9.3	15.9	11.6	7.4	5.1	3.4	3.9	3.3	8.3	13.5	10.5	6.4	5.8
Wind direction	SECross-on	SECross-on	SSECross-on	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SSEOnshore	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SSEOnshore	SOnshore	SSEGlassy	SSEOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SECross-on	ESECross-on	SECross-on	SSEOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	SSECross-on	SSWOnshore	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SOnshore	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SSEOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SOnshore	SSWGlassy	SWGlassy	SWGlassy	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SOnshore

Bay Street, Santa Monica (Los Angeles County, California, USA) is a classic Santa Monica surf break located near the north end of Santa Monica State Beach, close to the iconic Santa Monica Pier area.

Quick description

Type of break: Mainly a beach break
Bottom: Sand
Wave style: Often fun, mellow, and forgiving, but can get bigger and faster during strong swell
Best for: Beginners to intermediate surfers, depending on conditions
Crowds: Usually crowded, especially when the surf is small-to-medium and the weather is good

What it’s like

Bay Street is one of the better-known surf spots in Santa Monica because it can offer a relatively consistent wave with a fairly user-friendly takeoff. On smaller days, it’s often suitable for learning and longboarding. When the swell picks up, it can produce more powerful peaks and quicker sections, making it more challenging.

Conditions and considerations

Best swell direction: Generally works best with south to southwest swells
Wind: Offshore or light winds are ideal; strong onshore winds can make it choppy
Tide: Can vary a lot with tide, but mid-tide often offers the most balanced conditions
Hazards: Crowds, occasional shorebreak, and standard beach-break unpredictability

Local vibe

Bay Street has a very urban, accessible beach atmosphere. It’s easy to reach and often busy with surfers, swimmers, beachgoers, and tourists. Because it sits in a high-traffic area, etiquette and wave-sharing are important.