ON · SMALL · DAWN 6:30AM
South Ponto
Thu Oct 1 (day off) · 6:30–8:00am · 7'4" TJ Twinzer (Gem if it's thigh-high)

Fading SSW groundswell (~1.7ft @ 14s, 206°) with a small 10s WNW leftover for peaks. Small: thigh-to-waist, occasional stomach sets (Surfline 2–3ft+, Wavecast “chest max”). Calm at first light, N ~5 mph to 10am, W sea breeze 10 mph by noon. Low 2.5ft at 5:25am rising — get out by ~8am before it fills in. Runner-up: Tippers (tiebreak on crowd). Water 73°F.

Data pulled Wed Sep 30 ~5:40pm PT (evening run, targeting Thu 10/1) · buoys + NOAA tides + NWS + Open-Meteo + Wavecast (Tue 9/29) + Surfline (LOTUS).

Condition Gauges — 6:30–8:00am dawn

Tide — Thursday October 1 (La Jolla 9410230)

Ponto low-to-mid window (−1 to +3ft) session (6:30–8:00am dawn) tide height

Stoke Meter (6:30am dawn)

South Ponto and Tippers both clear all four factors (optimal SSW, 14s, ≤5 mph, low tide rising in window) but faces are under 3ft, so both cap at ON. Ponto takes the closer/less-crowded tiebreak; the WNW leftover gives its bars peaks. Blacks (SSW outside its S window, WNW only 10s), Sunset Cliffs, Oceanside Harbor, and Windansea are excluded — too small.

Days to Watch

Fri–Sat Oct 2–3: smaller, 2–3ft. Sun Oct 4: Ponto LOTUS 3–4ft. Thu Oct 8–Fri Oct 9: moderate southern hemi (Wavecast), Cardiff LOTUS 4–6ft. Sun Oct 11–Wed Oct 14: more southern hemis, 4–6ft. Possible Rachel swell early next week.