Surf spot

Garbage

Forecast conditions and map view for Garbage in USA, California, San Diego County. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, San Diego County
Coordinates: 32.7196, -117.2569

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)	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.9	1	1	1	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.1	1	0.9	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6
Wave direction	SW	SW	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	WSW	SW	S	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	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	W	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	S
Wave period (s)	13.2	12.1	11.7	10.6	11.8	12.4	11.9	11.8	11.8	11.2	11.2	9.6	6.8	6.8	9	4.7	4.9	5.2	5.5	5.5	5.8	6	6.1	6	6.3	5.8	5.8	6.2	6.3	6	5.8	5.8	5	5.8	5.9	6	6	5.8	5.8	6.4	6.3	6.3	8.3	13.8	13.4	13.2	13	12.7	12.2	13.3	13.2	13.1	12.5	11.6	8.6	8.6
Wave energy (kJ)	151	127	119	86	161	207	164	135	177	109	122	89	48	49	75	37	46	55	63	80	95	104	111	104	98	83	87	126	120	95	86	74	36	63	62	63	62	53	47	42	34	32	49	127	129	125	130	132	130	119	117	115	98	84	50	50
Wind speed (km/h)	14.2	14.8	16.2	21.3	20	15.6	10.5	11.2	8.8	6.7	6.4	12.2	15	13.1	10.4	9	5.4	7.3	8.7	16.6	15.5	13.8	9.8	10.1	9.2	11.4	11.1	15.1	17.6	13.5	8.9	8.4	8.5	6.2	7.9	12.2	14.5	11.4	9.3	6.4	4.7	3.4	3.7	10.2	15.9	12.9	10.2	8.3	6.6	6.4	5.4	10.5	16.4	15	12.4	8
Wind direction	SCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SCross-on	SCross-on	SWCross-on	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	WNWCross-on	WOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	SCross-on	SWCross-on	SCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWOnshore	WSWGlassy	WSWGlassy	WGlassy	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	WNWCross-on	WNWCross-on	NWCross-on	WNWCross-on	WNWCross-on	WNWCross-on	WOnshore	WCross-on	WNWCross-on	WNWCross-on	WNWCross-on

Garbage is a surf spot in San Diego County, California, known among local surfers as a beachbreak / reef-fringe type wave depending on sand movement and conditions. It’s one of those spots that can be average most days but surprisingly good when a swell, tide, and wind line up.

Quick overview

Location: San Diego County, Southern California
Type: Primarily a beachbreak with shifting sandbars
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers
Wave character: Can produce fast, punchy, rippable waves when conditions are right
Crowd: Usually local and moderately crowded when it’s firing

What it’s like

Garbage tends to work best on swell from the W to SW, with light offshore wind and a mid tide. Like many San Diego beachbreaks, it can be soft and crumbly on smaller days, but during solid surf it can become steeper, hollower, and more powerful.

Because the sandbars shift, the quality can change over the season. Some periods it may favor: - shortboard surfing on steeper peaks - funboard / fish boards on smaller, less consistent days

Hazards and conditions

Strong rip currents at times
Shifting bars and inconsistent takeoff spots
Occasional crowd pressure
Can be shallow on bigger sets

Best time to surf

Fall and winter often bring the most consistent swell
Early mornings usually offer the best wind
Mid tide is often a good starting point, though local knowledge matters a lot