Del Mar Rivermouth Surf Forecast
BREAK TYPE
Sandbar break at the San Dieguito River mouth in Del Mar.
GOOD FOR
Sandbar peaks form on either side of the San Dieguito rivermouth, where the outflow shapes lefts and rights over a pure sand bottom. Waves stay mellow and forgiving, usually waist to shoulder high, and break best with a chest high west or south swell on a medium to high tide. Rides run short but playful enough for a fish or a log, and the peaks reshape each winter as fresh rain flushes new sand out of the lagoon.
BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS
WORKS BEST WITH
- Swell Direction
- SW W NW
- Wind
- E NE
- Tide
- Low & Mid
WHEN IT WORKS
The open exposure catches winter northwest swells and summer south swells, with fall usually delivering the cleanest mix of size and light offshore wind. Mornings tend to hold a soft east flow before the afternoon onshore fills in, so dawn patrol pays off. A pushing medium to high tide is best, since low water drains the sandbars flat and closes out the inside section on anything with punch.
AVERAGE CROWD FACTOR
- Weekdays
- Mellow
- Weekends
- Packed
WHAT TO KNOW
Stingrays bury in the warm shallows through summer, so shuffle in on entry. River outflow after storms carries poor water quality, and county advisories usually stay posted for 72 hours past a rain. Crowds run lighter than the 15th Street reefs since wave quality is average, but longboards, SUPs and off leash dogs share the sand at dawn. A rip usually pulls beside the river channel on a dropping tide.
GETTING THERE
North Beach parking sits off Camino del Mar near Jimmy Durante Boulevard, a two minute walk over flat sand to the peaks, with restrooms and outdoor showers on site. Metered street spots line Camino del Mar and 29th Street with a short stair drop to the beach. From the north, the 112 step Del Mar Shores stairway at 180 Del Mar Shores Terrace in Solana Beach drops surfers on sand for a ten minute walk south.