(Orange County, USA)
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Photo by: Leland Berg
Bolsa Chica Surf Guide
Bolsa Chica,Surfside and Sunset Beaches in Orange County is a sheltered beach break that has reasonably consistent surf. Summer offers the favoured conditions for surfing. Offshore winds are from the northeast. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the ideal swell direction is from the southwest. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights. Sometimes crowded. Beware of rips, locals and pollution.
Bolsa Chica Spot Info
| Type: | Rating: |
|---|---|
 Beach |  3.2 |
| Reliability: | Todays Sea Temp*: |
| fairly consistent | 15.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite |
Surfing Bolsa Chica:
The best conditions reported for surf at Bolsa Chica occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northeast.
Surf Forecasts:
- Hourly Forecast12 Day Forecast
What's the best time of year to surf Bolsa Chica (for consistent clean waves)?
januaryBest Season: winter
The best time of year for surfing Bolsa Chica with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winterand most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 0% of the time in January while 3% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 97% of the time it is considered too small by mostsurfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
0%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
3%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
97%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).
Explore Bolsa Chica Location Map
Interactive Bolsa Chica surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Bolsa Chica is Long Beach Airport (LGB) in USA, 15 km (9 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Bolsa Chica is John Wayne Arpt Orange Co (Santa Ana) Airport (SNA), also in USA, 18 km (11 miles) away.
- Map Icons:
Break- Live Wave Height (m)
- Live Wind Speed (km/h)
- Surf Rating (10 Max)
- Ocean Swells (m)
- Wind Speed (km/h)
Break
Live Wave Height (
Live Wind Speed (
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (
Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Bolsa Chica Surf Forecasts:
- Hourly Forecast12 Day Forecast
Credit: Dave GibbsCredit: Leland Berg
Bolsa Chica Sea Temperature
The water temperature (15.7 °C) at Bolsa Chica is quite cool. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good sealed spring wetsuit. Some surfers would prefer to wear gloves and boots too. Effective windchill factor of (14.0 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit, neoprene gloves and boots.Current Temp*: 15.7°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellitewater-tempView Sea Temp MapSwell History at Bolsa Chica
Surf stats for Bolsa Chica, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.
Average Swell
Wind History at Bolsa Chica
Wind stats for Bolsa Chica, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.
Average Wind
Bolsa Chica Reviews:
Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.
Ratings
Based on 7 votes.
- Overall:3.2
- Quality on a good day:3.6
- Consistency of Surf:3.4
- Difficulty Level:2.1
- Wind and Kite Surfing:2.5
- Crowds:2.3
- ...
See all 18 ratings
Review
Impartial reviews submitted by Surf-Forecast users.
Mark from United States
“A small group of friends and I surf our kayaks at Bolsa Chica once or twice a week. We seldom have any trouble with the board surfers, as we're usually happy to inhabit the less prime areas. We like it because even on days with bad reports, we seem to be able to find a ride. Conditions can change quite a bit with the tide. Seems to close out when it gets bigger. Busy in the summer, but everyone seems to make room. Nice facilities and close to down town HB or Sunset Beach”
Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:
Discover surf breaks near Bolsa Chica. Click below to view there surf guides.
Sunset Beach
- Sandbar
- 2.8
Reliability: fairly consistent
1km away
Surfside Jetty
- Beach
- 3.3
Reliability: inconsistent
2km away
Anderson Street
- Sandbar
- 3.3
Reliability: fairly consistent
3km away
Dolphin Street
- Beach
- 2.7
Reliability: inconsistent
3km away
Huntington Cliffs
- Beach
- 3.6
Reliability: fairly consistent
3km away
SandbarWave Buoys Nearest To Bolsa Chica:
- Closest Wave BuoyLong Beach Channel, CA13 km
- Second closest Wave BuoySan Pedro South, CA18 km
- Third closest Wave BuoySan Pedro, CA26 km
- Fourth closest Wave BuoySanta Monica Bay, CA55 km
- Fifth closest Wave BuoyCamp Pendleton Nearshore, CA79 km
