Rating Scale
Ideal
Good
Fair
Poor
Skip
Avoid
Weighted Blend (peak hour)
Tide 50% · Wind 30% · Swell 20%
Scored at the best low-tide hour of the day.
Hard Limits
Wind ≥ 25 mph → Fair ceiling · ≥ 30 → Poor · ≥ 35 → Avoid
Swell > 3 ft → Good cap · > 5 → Fair · > 7 → Poor · > 9 → Avoid
Long swell period (≥ 13 s) drops the rating one tier
Higher tides make big swell hit harder
Special Ratings
Skip — no tide below 0.5 ft; pools won't drain enough to explore
Avoid — severe hazard advisory (high surf, rip currents, etc.)
Small Craft Advisory caps the day at Poor, not Avoid
