What is the best tide for Gray Whale Cove?

Gray Whale Cove works best on low to mid tide. Tide matters because depth is what trips a wave: as the water fills in, the break slides shoreward onto a different part of the bottom, and over a shallow bank enough water stops it breaking at all. Our forecast solves each hour at that hour's real water level rather than assuming one.

What swell direction is best for Gray Whale Cove?

SW–W suits Gray Whale Cove best. The direction that matters is the one at the break, not the one on the buoy: the seafloor bends swell on its way in, so a spot can work on an angle the open coast is missing. We model that bending for each break rather than reporting the offshore direction.

Is Gray Whale Cove good for beginners?

Gray Whale Cove suits intermediate surfers, over sand. That is the wave this bottom makes on an average day, and it moves: the same break is a different proposition on a bigger swell or a different tide, so read the day's forecast rather than the label.

What is the bottom like at Gray Whale Cove?

sand (exposed). It is the reason this break behaves the way it does: the shape of the seabed decides where the swell focuses, where it trips, and whether it spills or pitches. We model Gray Whale Cove on real 10-foot bathymetry instead of treating the seafloor as a slope.

Gray Whale Cove surf report and forecast

BeachbreakMontara, CAForecast 6:47pm

Forecast for the selected hour

Now · 9pm

5–6 ft · sets to 8

FairNo window today · next Tue 7am–2pm

Swell lines up. Wind is the limiting factor.

3-hourlyGlobal model6-hourly

Hour by hour · TodaySunrise 7:21 · tap an hour

SurfftWindmphTideftSwells · from

Model, not a camera ·Today 9pm PDT

Open on the map

The wave field solved for this hour on the real seafloor, playing forward. A model, not a camera.

Loads when it comes into view.

The wave field solved for this hour on the real seafloor, playing forward. A model, not a camera.

This hour

The 9pm readingSwell, wind, tide, breaker, energy, water

Swell4.2 ft · 11 s · WMakes the wave: 59% of the energy. Direction at the break.
3.5 ft · 7 s · WNWSecondary: 41% of the energy. Direction at the break.
Wind13 mph from the WNWOnshore to a shoreline facing 259°Strong
Tide2.2 ft, fallingNext low 0.7 ft at 12:13am · NAVD88, NOAA 9414131 predicted (no live sensor)
BreakerSpillingBreaks in about 10 ft of water
Energy340 kJHeight² × period²Punchy
Water61° · air 57° · UV 0

High confidence.

Best windowNone today · next Tue 7am–2pm

No usable window in daylight today.

Against what Gray Whale Cove likesWhy it is Fair, not Fair-Good

Preferred tide and swell are surfer-consensus notes for this spot, not yet reviewed against measurements. Wind is judged by the general rule (light or offshore helps). No percent match: these are plain states and reasons.

Nearby at 9pmMontara State Beach, Pedro Point and 3 more

Compare on the map

The break

The seafloorSand (exposed)

Loading the seafloor under Gray Whale Cove…

Open the seafloor on the map

Shallow is light, deep is dark; contours every few feet; the relief is exaggerated.

Bottomsand (exposed)
DepthCUDEM 1/9 arc-second (2022), relative to NAVD88. Depth shown is below the selected hour’s tide.
CoverageRock reef and headland shapes resolve well. Nearshore sandbars are interpolated flat in this dataset, so a beachbreak’s bar is not in the picture. A tile’s year is its publication, not the survey date.

Why it breaks like thisTwo swells at once, the seafloor is neutral here, where it trips

Read from the current hour (today at 9pm). Each number, and what it does to the wave.

Two swells at once
4.2 ft at 11s from the W carrying 59% of the energy, plus 3.5 ft at 7s from the WNW (41%).
The long-period train is the one building your wave. It holds the most energy and reaches deepest. The shorter ones cross it, which is what makes the surface look busy and the takeoff shift around. Why period matters more than height
The seafloor is neutral here
Kr 0.91 · 84% of modelled rays break.
Energy arrives roughly as it left deep water: this bottom neither concentrates the swell nor fans it out, so what the buoy sees is close to what you get. Why two breaks a mile apart differ
Where it trips
2.2 ft of tide; waves are breaking in about 10 ft of water.
A wave breaks when the water gets shallow enough relative to its height, so that depth is a contour on the seafloor, and the tide slides the whole break up and down it through the day. Same swell, different spot, a few hours apart. How the tide moves the break
Wind is onshore
13 mph from the WNW, against a shoreline facing 259°.
Pushing into the back of the wave from the sea, making it crumble and break early instead of standing up. Note this is measured against the angle THIS break faces, which is why one spot can be blown out while the one round the headland is fine.
How the sets come
About one set every 2 min, roughly 9 waves in it.
Swell arrives in groups, not evenly. That spacing is what you are really timing your paddle-out to, and it's why the lineup can look flat for minutes and then produce five waves at once.

How Gray Whale Cove worksPunchy exposed peaks below Devil's Slide

Punchy exposed peaks below Devil's Slide; a steep stairway keeps the crowd thin.

Best tidelow to mid
Best swellSW–W
Suitsintermediate

2 swell trains in the current hour · How this is calculated

Common questions4 questions about Gray Whale Cove

What is the best tide for Gray Whale Cove?: Gray Whale Cove works best on low to mid tide. Tide matters because depth is what trips a wave: as the water fills in, the break slides shoreward onto a different part of the bottom, and over a shallow bank enough water stops it breaking at all. Our forecast solves each hour at that hour's real water level rather than assuming one.
What swell direction is best for Gray Whale Cove?: SW–W suits Gray Whale Cove best. The direction that matters is the one at the break, not the one on the buoy: the seafloor bends swell on its way in, so a spot can work on an angle the open coast is missing. We model that bending for each break rather than reporting the offshore direction.
Is Gray Whale Cove good for beginners?: Gray Whale Cove suits intermediate surfers, over sand. That is the wave this bottom makes on an average day, and it moves: the same break is a different proposition on a bigger swell or a different tide, so read the day's forecast rather than the label.
What is the bottom like at Gray Whale Cove?: sand (exposed). It is the reason this break behaves the way it does: the shape of the seabed decides where the swell focuses, where it trips, and whether it spills or pitches. We model Gray Whale Cove on real 10-foot bathymetry instead of treating the seafloor as a slope.