Santa Monica (Pier)
Shark Weather report · updated Sun Oct 18, 4:22 pm PT
Sunrise/sunset calculated for this beach’s location (NOAA solar equations, ±2 min). Tides: NOAA CO-OPS predictions, Santa Monica Pier (9410840), 0 km away, feet above MLLW.
Surf/swim conditions only, never shark risk. How it's calculated
We have no approved official shark advisory or closure for this beach right now. Sharks live along this whole coast, so always check with lifeguards and posted signs.
No past official advisories on file for this beach yet. How this works
10 AM–1 PM · light wind (up to 5 mph), mid tide, falling
💨 Mid-window wind: Light onshore, 5 mph from SSW: light texture
⚠ Beach Hazards Statement, High rip current risk (NWS) in effect: even the best window may be rough. Check the alerts above.
Daylight hours only (sunrise 7:02 am, sunset 6:15 pm). From the NWS hourly forecast (wind) and NOAA CO-OPS hourly tide predictions (Santa Monica Pier, 0 km away). Surf/swim conditions only, not a safety rating. How it works
Active NWS alerts
⚠ Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued October 18 at 12:31PM PDT until October 20 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Details from NWS
* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents and breaking waves due to elevated surf of 3 to 6 feet expected. * WHERE...Ventura County Beaches, Malibu Coast and Los Angeles County Beaches. * WHEN...Through Tuesday morning. * IMPACTS...There is an increased risk of ocean drowning. Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Waves can wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats nearshore. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Minor beach erosion and tidal overflows may occur across south-facing beaches especially in the Long Beach area.
Source: NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA · until Tue Oct 20, 9:00 am PT
Live cam
Live stream by explore.org, embedded with the owner’s permission · Watch on the owner’s page · Cams can be offline or delayed and are not a safety tool.
7-day outlook
Today Oct 18
Mon Oct 19
Tue Oct 20
Wed Oct 21
Thu Oct 22
Fri Oct 23
Sat Oct 24
Weather, wind and rain chance: National Weather Service (This Afternoon onward), updated Sun Oct 18, 11:26 am PT. High / overnight low. “n/a” = NWS gave no rain chance. Waves: NWS surf zone forecast (Malibu Coast, Los Angeles County Beaches), issued Sun Oct 18, 1:39 pm PT; it only covers the next few days, so “—” means no official wave forecast.
Conditions
Waves
Significant wave height 0.7 m · dominant period 17 s · from 211° (SSW)
Topanga Nearshore buoy, 7 km away, as of 3:00 pm PT · NOAA NDBC · Data courtesy of CDIP (station 103). Buoys measure offshore; breaking surf at the beach can differ.
Surf zone forecastNWS
Beach Hazards Statement Through 9 Am TuesdayHigh Rip Current Risk| Period | This Afternoon Through Monday |
| Surf height | 3 to 6 feet |
| Rip current risk | High |
| Water temp (NWS) | 68 to 73 degrees |
| Remarks | Mixed west swell and south swell |
Malibu Coast, Los Angeles County Beaches · issued Sun Oct 18, 1:39 pm PT · NWS Surf Zone Forecast
Water temp
Wetsuit meter: Spring suit or 2 mm top
Santa Monica Pier (NOAA CO-OPS 9410840), 0 km away, as of 3:24 pm PT. The wetsuit meter is a general comfort guide.
Weather & wind
This Afternoon: Sunny, 81°F, wind 10 mph WSW
- Tonight: Mostly Clear, 66°
- Monday: Sunny, 73°
National Weather Service (LOX) forecast, updated Sun Oct 18, 11:26 am PT
💨 Moderate onshore, 10 mph from WSW: bumpy (how)
Tides today
| Tide | Time (PT) | Height |
|---|---|---|
| High | 7:30 am | 3.7 ft |
| Low | 10:06 am | 3.6 ft |
| High | 3:29 pm | 4.2 ft |
| Low | 11:38 pm | 0.8 ft |
NOAA CO-OPS predictions, Santa Monica Pier (9410840), 0 km away · feet above MLLW
Water quality
Official status today: LA County Public Health: Beach Water Quality
State postings data lists 4 posting/closure record(s) within 1.5 km with no reopen date recorded. Latest: Posting (Bacterial Standards Violation) since 2026-03-03 at Strand Street on Santa Monica State Beach.
CA State Water Resources Control Board beach postings (ODC-By). Latest record in the dataset: 2026-03-06. It lags behind real time, so use the county link for today.
After rain: county health officers advise staying out of ocean water for at least 72 hours after rain (a “rain advisory”). We haven’t found an official machine-readable rain-advisory feed we can use, so check the county link above.
Weekly A–F grades: Heal the Bay Beach Report Card. We link to it instead of copying their grades.
Lifeguards
LA County Fire Department Lifeguards
Official site. Ask the nearest tower about conditions, rip currents and any wildlife sightings.
In an emergency call 911.
SwellNDBC
| Primary swell | SSW 2.0 ft @ 16.7 s |
| Wind waves (secondary) | NW 1.0 ft @ 8.3 s |
This swell partly reaches here (by our estimated swell window)
Swell window for this beach (estimate)
Reaches well from: 230–280° · partly from: 190–229°, 281–295° (directions the swell comes from, degrees true). Inside Santa Monica Bay; south angles partly shadowed by Palos Verdes and Catalina. Estimate only: bearings read from coastline orientation and generally known exposure (island/point shadowing), roughly ±15°, not surveyed.
Topanga Nearshore buoy (46268), 7 km offshore, spectral summary as of 3:00 pm PT · NOAA NDBC · Data courtesy of CDIP (station 103). Height in feet (converted from meters), period in seconds, direction the waves come from.
Beach info
| Parking | Paid City beach lots, open sunrise to sunset. |
| Restrooms | North and south of the Pier, 6 a.m.–dusk. |
| Showers | Outdoor showers at the restrooms north and south of the Pier. |
| Lifeguards | LA County Fire lifeguards; tower staffing varies seasonally. |
| Crowds | City: plan ahead, especially during the summer months. |
From official pages: smgov.net · santamonica.gov · page 2. Checked 2026-10-18. Rules, fees and hours change; follow posted signs and lifeguards.