Which beach today? Orange County beach conditions
Live surf height, swell period, water temperature, tide times, wind, rip current risk, UV index and National Weather Service warnings for 10 beaches from Huntington Beach to Dana Point.
Beaches
- Main Beach, Laguna Beach — The town's front yard
- Crescent Bay, Laguna Beach — Tide pools and seals
- Thousand Steps, Laguna Beach — Earn it on the way down
- Victoria Beach, Laguna Beach — The one with the tower
- Aliso Beach, Laguna Beach — Skimboarders' proving ground
- Crystal Cove, Newport Coast — Three miles of state park
- Corona del Mar, Newport Beach — Calm water by the jetty
- The Wedge, Newport Beach — Where the waves stack up
- Salt Creek, Dana Point — Bluff-top lawn, surf below
- Huntington City Beach, Huntington Beach — Surf City, wide and flat
Common questions
- Which Orange County beach is best today?
- It depends on the conditions. This site scores each beach on surf height, water quality, wind and rip current risk, and shows which are calm, which have fun surf and which are dangerous.
- Where does the data come from?
- Tides and water temperature come from NOAA CO-OPS. Alerts and surf zone forecasts come from the National Weather Service. Wave height, wind and weather come from Open-Meteo.
- Which Orange County beaches are calmest for swimming?
- Corona del Mar sits behind the east jetty and is usually flat. Main Beach in Laguna has the gentlest surf in town. Crescent Bay is protected and good for snorkeling.
- Which Orange County beaches have tide pools?
- Crescent Bay and Crystal Cove have the best tide pools, and both are best within an hour either side of low tide.
Conditions can change fast. Check with lifeguards before entering the water.