Cortes Bank
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.
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Spot Details
Swell Requirements
- Optimal direction
- W (281°)
- Direction range
- 270° - 292°
- Size range
- 18.3m - 22.9m
- Ideal size
- 21.8m
- Height multiplier
- 1.08×
- Ideal period
- 20s+
Wind Requirements
- Optimal direction
- E (90°)
- Offshore range
- 45° - 135°
Tide Requirements
- Optimal tide
- low
Difficulty
6/10
Crowd level
3/10
👥 Summer Break (Jun 15 – Aug 25) — expect extra crowds
Access: Major boat expedition
Getting There
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