10-day surf forecast with Strike Scores for Cortes Bank, 100mi off San Diego, USA
Cortes Bank is surfing's most remote big wave venue—an underwater mountain rising from the seafloor 100 miles off the San Diego coast. When massive Pacific storms generate huge W-NW swells, waves break on the shallow reef at heights that rival anything on Earth: 70-100 foot faces have been documented. Getting there requires a major boat expedition and perfect weather windows. The wave breaks maybe 3 days per year. Cortes Bank represents big wave surfing at its most logistically extreme and potentially largest scale.
Best day in the forecast: 2026-08-10 with a score of 15/100 (Poor)
Poor conditions overall: Average score 3/100. Look for spots with better forecasts.
Moderate alignment: Swell from 306° is 25° off optimal 281°, workable but not ideal.
Too small: 2.2m is below minimum 18.3m. Waves will be weak/mushy.
Short period: 11s is below minimum 18s. Windswell-dominated (choppy, weak waves).
Onshore/cross-shore: 16 km/h from 309° (NW). Destroying wave quality. Offshore range: 45°-135°.
-21 points: Previous days of onshore wind left residual chop ("morning sickness"), reducing wave quality.
Groundswell-dominant conditions (clean, long-period waves).
Poor conditions at Cortes Bank. Either swell direction (306°), size (2.2m), or wind (16 km/h from 309°) is unfavorable. Consider other spots or wait for better conditions.
2.2m (7.2ft) swell from 306° (NW) at 11s period
Moderate alignment: Swell from 305° is 24° off optimal 281°, workable but not ideal.
Too small: 1.3m is below minimum 18.3m. Waves will be weak/mushy.
Onshore/cross-shore: 13 km/h from 331° (NNW). Destroying wave quality. Offshore range: 45°-135°.
-11 points: Previous days of onshore wind left residual chop ("morning sickness"), reducing wave quality.
Poor conditions at Cortes Bank. Either swell direction (305°), size (1.3m), or wind (13 km/h from 331°) is unfavorable. Consider other spots or wait for better conditions.
1.3m (4.3ft) swell from 305° (NW) at 11s period
Too small: 1.0m is below minimum 18.3m. Waves will be weak/mushy.
Short period: 10s is below minimum 18s. Windswell-dominated (choppy, weak waves).
Onshore/cross-shore: 17 km/h from 304° (NW). Destroying wave quality. Offshore range: 45°-135°.
Poor conditions at Cortes Bank. Either swell direction (305°), size (1.0m), or wind (17 km/h from 304°) is unfavorable. Consider other spots or wait for better conditions.
1.0m (3.3ft) swell from 305° (NW) at 10s period
No alignment: Swell from 219° is outside workable range 270°-292°. Wrong swell direction for this spot.
Too small: 0.9m is below minimum 18.3m. Waves will be weak/mushy.
Short period: 15s is below minimum 18s. Windswell-dominated (choppy, weak waves).
Onshore/cross-shore: 18 km/h from 290° (WNW). Destroying wave quality. Offshore range: 45°-135°.
Poor conditions at Cortes Bank. Either swell direction (219°), size (0.9m), or wind (18 km/h from 290°) is unfavorable. Consider other spots or wait for better conditions.
0.9m (3.0ft) swell from 219° (SW) at 15s period
Local wind-generated waves (choppy, short-period)
No alignment: Swell from 190° is outside workable range 270°-292°. Wrong swell direction for this spot.
Too small: 1.2m is below minimum 18.3m. Waves will be weak/mushy.
Onshore/cross-shore: 19 km/h from 294° (WNW). Destroying wave quality. Offshore range: 45°-135°.
Poor conditions at Cortes Bank. Either swell direction (190°), size (1.2m), or wind (19 km/h from 294°) is unfavorable. Consider other spots or wait for better conditions.
1.2m (3.9ft) swell from 190° (S) at 15s period
No alignment: Swell from 191° is outside workable range 270°-292°. Wrong swell direction for this spot.
Short period: 13s is below minimum 18s. Windswell-dominated (choppy, weak waves).
Onshore/cross-shore: 12 km/h from 276° (W). Destroying wave quality. Offshore range: 45°-135°.
Poor conditions at Cortes Bank. Either swell direction (191°), size (1.2m), or wind (12 km/h from 276°) is unfavorable. Consider other spots or wait for better conditions.
1.2m (3.9ft) swell from 191° (S) at 13s period
Poor alignment: Swell from 313° is 32° off optimal 281°, barely within workable range 270°-292°.
Too small: 1.5m is below minimum 18.3m. Waves will be weak/mushy.
Onshore/cross-shore: 7 km/h from 197° (SSW). Destroying wave quality. Offshore range: 45°-135°.
Poor conditions at Cortes Bank. Either swell direction (313°), size (1.5m), or wind (7 km/h from 197°) is unfavorable. Consider other spots or wait for better conditions.
1.5m (4.9ft) swell from 313° (NW) at 10s period
Too small: 1.6m is below minimum 18.3m. Waves will be weak/mushy.
Onshore/cross-shore: 7 km/h from 248° (WSW). Destroying wave quality. Offshore range: 45°-135°.
Poor conditions at Cortes Bank. Either swell direction (313°), size (1.6m), or wind (7 km/h from 248°) is unfavorable. Consider other spots or wait for better conditions.
1.6m (5.2ft) swell from 313° (NW) at 10s period
Very low confidence (8-10 day forecast, conditions may change)
Poor alignment: Swell from 312° is 31° off optimal 281°, barely within workable range 270°-292°.
Too small: 1.7m is below minimum 18.3m. Waves will be weak/mushy.
Onshore/cross-shore: 20 km/h from 303° (WNW). Destroying wave quality. Offshore range: 45°-135°.
Poor conditions at Cortes Bank. Either swell direction (312°), size (1.7m), or wind (20 km/h from 303°) is unfavorable. Consider other spots or wait for better conditions.
1.7m (5.6ft) swell from 312° (NW) at 11s period
Moderate alignment: Swell from 299° is 18° off optimal 281°, workable but not ideal.
Short period: 14s is below minimum 18s. Windswell-dominated (choppy, weak waves).
Onshore/cross-shore: 24 km/h from 302° (WNW). Destroying wave quality. Offshore range: 45°-135°.
Poor conditions at Cortes Bank. Either swell direction (299°), size (1.3m), or wind (24 km/h from 302°) is unfavorable. Consider other spots or wait for better conditions.
1.3m (4.3ft) swell from 299° (WNW) at 14s period
Open-Meteo Weather API (wind/weather data)