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	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.7	0.9	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.9	1	1.1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.5
Wave direction	W	WSW	WSW	SW	SW	SW	WSW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	WSW	W	W	W	W	WSW	WSW	W	W	W	W	W	W	SW	W	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SW
Wave period (s)	6	6	5.9	8.9	8.8	11.3	10.4	5.5	4.8	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.8	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.9	6	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.8	5.8	5.8	5.5	5.7	5.5	6.7	7.2	5.8	5.7	5.7	6.8	10	6.5	9.7	10.1	9.9	9.7	9.4	9.3	9.3	12.4	12	11.8	11.7	11.2	11.1	9	11.7	9.9	11.3	11.8	11.7	11.6	8.8
Wave energy (kJ)	28	32	27	46	42	41	19	31	39	51	49	46	50	49	49	62	78	74	56	53	48	40	34	32	27	34	28	36	42	28	25	20	25	39	21	43	43	35	33	35	37	37	65	66	64	63	57	56	34	48	26	37	36	35	31	32
Wind speed (km/h)	6.3	7.1	5.8	11.3	13.8	12.5	7	6.9	4.2	3.6	4.5	10	13.9	12.3	7.3	6.3	6.5	4.6	5.6	10.4	15.8	10.3	5.8	7.3	10.2	9.9	8.4	12.3	16.1	12.3	8.2	5.9	4.8	5.9	5.1	10.2	15.1	12.9	6.8	5.8	3.8	2	1.8	9.2	14.5	12.8	7	4.9	2.9	2.4	3.9	10.1	13.8	12.2	5.1	6.3
Wind direction	SSEOnshore	SECross-on	SSEOnshore	SOnshore	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SOnshore	SSWGlassy	SGlassy	SSEGlassy	SSWOnshore	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SEGlassy	SECross-on	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSECross-on	SECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	SSEOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSEGlassy	SECross-on	SECross-on	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SSWGlassy	SWGlassy	SWGlassy	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SSEGlassy	SSEGlassy	SSWGlassy	SWGlassy	SSWOnshore	SSWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SOnshore	SSECross-on

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.