Surf spot

Seal Beach Pier Northside

Forecast conditions and map view for Seal Beach Pier Northside in USA, California, Orange County. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, Orange County
Coordinates: 33.7380, -118.1090

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	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.9	1.1	1	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6
Wave direction	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	WSW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	WSW
Wave period (s)	10.3	9.7	9.4	9.3	9.2	9	8.8	6.8	4.9	5	5.3	5.5	5.3	6.6	5.9	6	6.1	6.2	6.2	6.2	6.2	6.1	6	6.1	6.8	6.8	7	7	6.5	9.8	9.7	9.7	9.4	11.6	11.4	12	11.9	11.4	13.6	13.5	13.3	12.9	12.7	12.6	12.2	11.4	11.3	11.2	11.1	10.9	10.9	11.8	11.6	11.8	9.8	6.3
Wave energy (kJ)	82	77	73	66	61	51	49	31	21	31	38	36	24	45	49	63	84	79	62	53	47	43	37	32	35	40	45	42	36	65	59	50	48	73	70	78	77	82	108	99	110	113	108	106	99	106	104	102	94	92	80	69	62	64	52	29
Wind speed (km/h)	9.4	11	12.8	14.4	14.9	13.2	9.2	11.2	10.5	7.2	7.5	12.3	14.9	12.9	10.7	12.6	12.7	14.1	15.9	16.6	19.6	17	14.6	14.5	16.1	11	10.7	13.3	16.7	15.7	11.3	8.4	6.8	5.1	5	11.3	15.8	13.6	9.7	7.1	5	3.1	4.8	8.7	14.8	17.6	10	7.2	6.9	5.1	2.8	7.1	15.8	14.3	8.9	8.3
Wind direction	SSEOnshore	SSECross-on	SSEOnshore	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SOnshore	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SECross-on	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SECross-on	SECross-on	SSEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SOnshore	SSEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SSEOnshore	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SOnshore	SOnshore	SOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSWOnshore	SSWOnshore	SWGlassy	WSWGlassy	SWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WCross	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWGlassy	SWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWCross-on	SSWOnshore

Seal Beach Pier Northside is a classic Southern California beach-break surf spot located in Seal Beach, Orange County. It’s on the north side of the pier, where the pier structure helps shape and organize incoming swell into rideable peaks.

What it’s like

Wave type: Mostly a beach break with some pier-induced shape
Best for: Beginners to intermediate surfers, depending on conditions
Wave character: Typically mellow to moderate, with occasional faster, steeper sections
Bottom: Mostly sand, so conditions can shift with sandbars and tides
Crowd level: Can get crowded, especially on good summer mornings and weekends

Best conditions

Swell direction: Works well with south and southwest swell
Wind: Best with light offshore or calm winds; onshore winds can make it choppy
Tide: Often better at mid tide, though exact performance changes with sandbar setup
Season: Can surf year-round, but fall and winter often bring more consistent swell

Hazards / notes

Crowds and local etiquette are important here
Shifting sandbars mean the best peaks can move around
The pier and surrounding area can create strong currents and occasional shallow sections when the sand is low

Overall vibe

Seal Beach Pier Northside is a fun, accessible, and user-friendly Orange County surf spot with a laid-back beach town feel. When the sandbars line up, it can offer clean, playful waves that are great for everyday surfing.