Finding the pulse of the reef...
This week
snorkel & freedive readBest day this week: Saturday, 7 AM–12 PM.
Next 12 hours
Partly cloudy now, fog moving in around 9 PM.
Conditions
Visibility, water, current, and wind. The in-water read.
Visibility
Clear
Calm wind
Water
75°
2–3 mm
Current
0.3 kt
slack
Surge
9.15s
low surge
Wind
5 mph
onshore SW
Visibility is an estimate — wind, rain, tide & water alerts.
The spot
The things that stay true when the weather changes.
San Diego Lifeguards call this one of the city's busiest beaches, and it draws its largest crowds through summer.
Free street parking near the beach, plus paid lots nearby.
Checked 2026-08-26. Sources: City of San Diego Lifeguard Services: Pacific Beach, City of San Diego Lifeguard Services: rip currents, California Beaches, CDFW: South La Jolla State Marine Reserve.
Tides & Sky
When the water moves, and how bright the night.
Best in-water window
2:24 PM – 4:24 PM
Low slack · Sun high · Least current
Slack tide means least current and the clearest water — best around the turn, in good light.
High
8:54 PM
6.167ft
Low
3:44 AM
-0.219ft
Full Moon
100%
Daylight: 13h 0m · UV 7 High
Life
The reef keeps its own calendar.
Great Blue Heron · Snowy Egret · American Osprey · Heermann's Gull · Black-vented Shearwater +4 more
Regulations
Take only what the season allows.
We've only loaded detailed seasons & limits for South Florida so far. For California, check the official source before you fish:
California saltwater regulationsOfficial source: CDFW· opens the agency site
Now. The water is alive and waiting.
Snorkel: clear viz, warm 75 F water, 4-5 ft waves, 5 mph onshore wind.
Best window: 2:24 PM–4:24 PM · Low slack · Sun high · Least current