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Malibu (First Point) Surf Forecast

Southern California, CA · The original perfect wave - summer S swell walls at First Point.

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Malibu (First Point) Spot Guide

Best swell

S
window SSE–WSW (150°–255°)

Ideal size

2–8 ft
breaking-wave face height

Best wind

N
offshore · S is onshore

Verified against

Buoy 46221
live NOAA readings · our error

The wave

BreakRight-hand cobblestone point (First, Second and Third Point)
BottomCobblestone and sand
WavesLong, peeling rights — rides of a hundred yards and more on the right swell
AbilityFirst Point's slow, even walls are ideal for longboarders and progressing surfers; Second and Third Point run faster and reward experience.
Best tideLow to mid — higher tides swamp the cobble points
CrowdOne of the most crowded waves on earth during a summer south swell — expect a party, not privacy
HazardsCrowds and loose boards above all; rocks near the points at low tide
AccessPay lot at Surfrider Beach or fight for PCH street parking

Local knowledge

Malibu is the original perfect wave — the point that defined California surfing in the 1950s and 60s and still sets the standard for longboard trim. When a southern-hemisphere swell arrives between April and September, First Point machine-rolls waves along the cobble for a hundred yards at a time, exactly as it did in Gidget's day.

Surfrider Beach was the world's first World Surfing Reserve, and the wave remains remarkably true to itself. The price is people: a real south swell can put a hundred surfers on First Point alone. Dawn, weekdays, or a walk up to Second Point buy a little breathing room.

Nearby spots

FAQ

What swell direction works best at Malibu (First Point)?

S swell hits Malibu (First Point) straight on. The spot picks up anything arriving from SSE (150°) through WSW (255°); swell from outside that window is blocked by the coastline.

What wind is best at Malibu (First Point)?

N wind blows offshore and grooms the surf. S wind is straight onshore and chops it up; light wind under ~5 kn is fine from any direction.

When is the best time of year to surf Malibu (First Point)?

This stretch faces south, so it specialises in Southern Hemisphere S swells (April-September), while winter NW swell has to wrap in. Fall offers the best of both with clean conditions.

What's the best tide at Malibu (First Point)?

Low to mid — higher tides swamp the cobble points. Tide predictions for the spot's NOAA station are in the forecast above.

Is Malibu (First Point) good for beginners?

First Point's slow, even walls are ideal for longboarders and progressing surfers; Second and Third Point run faster and reward experience.

How warm is the water at Malibu (First Point)?

Roughly 57°F at its late-winter coldest to about 70°F in late summer. In practice that means a 4/3 in winter and a spring suit in summer. The forecast above shows the current water temperature.

How far out is this forecast reliable?

The wave model has real skill to about 10 days, and we cut the chart there instead of padding it with guesses. Days 1-3 are solid, 4-7 useful, 8-10 a trend heads-up - and we publish our measured error against NOAA buoys, updated continuously.

Forecast from TrueSwell's own physics-based wave model (exposure → refraction → breaking, every swell train separately), built on public NOAA and Open-Meteo data and scored daily against NDBC buoy observations. How the model works →