Cherry Hill Surf Forecast

GOOD FOR

• Beginner — not suitable
• Intermediate — suitable
• Advanced — suitable
• Expert — not suitable

Sand with scattered flat rock shapes short, snappy A-frames that reward quick pop-ups and tight turns. The main outside peak sits just south of the stairs and jacks hard when combo NW and SW swells stack up. Size stays waist to shoulder most days, overhead on the better pulses. Best suited to intermediates and up who can read a shifty beachbreak takeoff.

WHEN IT WORKS

Exposure catches both NW winter swells and summer S pulses, but the spot truly lights up in autumn when overlapping swell trains meet Santa Ana offshores. Mornings usually deliver the cleanest wind before the afternoon onshore fills in. Mid tide tends to shape the outside peak best, since high tide narrows the beach severely and low can expose more of the rock shelf.

WHAT TO KNOW

Flat rock patches sit mixed through the sand, so lower tides bring fin dings and the occasional foot cut when scrambling out. The bluff base disappears at high tide, leaving little dry sand and a longer swim if caught inside. Rip channels form quickly on bigger swells. Crowds stay lighter than nearby Pillbox thanks to the tucked-away access, though weekends still pack the main peak.

GETTING THERE

Less than 5 min walk on average

The entrance is easy to miss, a narrow sidewalk cutout at the end of Del Mar Shores Terrace off Sierra Avenue. Free street parking sits along the surrounding residential blocks, usually a two to five minute walk. A long public stairway of concrete, metal, and wood switchbacks down the bluff to sand. Seasonal lifeguards staff the beach from 10am to 6pm through summer, no restrooms on site.