Surf spot

Pismo Beach

Forecast conditions and map view for Pismo Beach in USA, California, San Luis Obispo. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, San Luis Obispo
Coordinates: 35.1383, -120.6447

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)	1	1	1	0.8	0.8	0.9	1.2	1.2	1.2	1	1	0.9	0.7	0.9	1	1.1	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.2	0.7	0.8	1.2	1.6	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.2	1.2	1.6	1.8	1.9	1.8	1.6	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.5
Wave direction	WNW	WNW	WNW	WSW	SW	WSW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	NW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	W	W	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	NW	WSW	SSW
Wave period (s)	4.7	4.6	4.6	7.3	11.8	7.4	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.2	5	5	6	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.4	5.8	5.8	6.3	7.7	7.1	6.7	6.3	6	6.2	6.2	6.5	7.3	7.3	6.5	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.2	6.3	6.2	6.1	6.1	6.1	6.1	6.2	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.8	6.5	7.2	7	6.3	6.2	6.4	8.2	11.9
Wave energy (kJ)	45	44	39	67	159	93	79	84	76	57	52	44	37	46	65	86	131	133	138	118	58	61	129	208	169	161	170	180	151	143	213	265	279	256	205	178	140	143	124	114	100	90	77	73	69	66	61	55	51	47	43	40	33	29	36	71
Wind speed (km/h)	2.5	4	5.1	14.1	14.2	13.9	7.3	2.5	4.6	6.9	3.1	12.3	15	19.1	9.5	2.6	3.9	6.1	6.9	16.8	30.6	26.1	14.8	2.6	2.1	2.5	2.6	12.8	18.3	15.4	3.1	3.3	7.1	7.3	6.6	12.2	10.8	14.3	8.2	5.5	2.9	4.5	2.6	10.8	14.9	13.5	8.7	3.5	2.6	1.8	1.8	10.5	15.5	15.5	7.7	4.3
Wind direction	WGlassy	WGlassy	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	SGlassy	SEGlassy	SECross-off	SEGlassy	WOnshore	WOnshore	WNWCross-on	WNWCross-on	ENEGlassy	ESEGlassy	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	WOnshore	WNWCross-on	WNWCross-on	NWCross-on	NWGlassy	WNWGlassy	SEGlassy	SEGlassy	WOnshore	WNWOnshore	WOnshore	NWGlassy	ESEGlassy	ESECross-off	EOffshore	ESECross-off	SWCross-on	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	NWCross-on	NCross	NGlassy	NNEGlassy	NNEGlassy	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	NWCross-on	NNWGlassy	NEGlassy	NGlassy	NGlassy	WOnshore	WOnshore	WNWOnshore	NWCross-on	NNWGlassy

Pismo Beach is a classic Central Coast surf spot in San Luis Obispo County, California. It’s a long, open beach break with multiple peaks, so conditions can vary a lot along the shoreline depending on swell direction, tide, and sandbar shape.

Surf profile

Wave type: Mostly beach break
Best for: Beginners to intermediate surfers on smaller, cleaner days; more experienced surfers when conditions get bigger and more powerful
Break characteristics: Often playful and user-friendly, but can get mushy or close out when sandbars aren’t lined up well
Crowds: Can be busy, especially on weekends, holidays, and when the surf is good

Conditions

Swell exposure: Picks up west and northwest swells well
Wind: Offshore winds from the east/northeast generally clean things up
Tide: Can work across different tides, but the best setup often depends on current sandbar conditions
Wave quality: Highly sandbar-dependent, so quality can change quickly after storms or seasonal sand movement

Hazards / things to watch

Strong currents and rips can develop
Changing sandbars mean the best takeoff zones move around
Cold water is common year-round, so a wetsuit is usually needed
Crowds and longboarders can make lineup etiquette important

Vibe

Pismo Beach has a laid-back, classic beach-town feel with a wide sandy shoreline and plenty of room compared with more crowded point breaks. It’s a good place for casual sessions, learning, or cruising on a fun day when the conditions line up.