The Dark Side
California · United States
Rating right now
The Dark Side is a SW-facing sand beach on the Gulf of California coastline near California — it picks up S–W swell and turns cleanest in a N–E wind, with the most consistent surf through april–october.
10-day forecast
Local time · updates hourly
Wave height & period
Wind
| Time | Rating | Waves | Swell | Wind | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Water temperature by month
This month: ~21.3°C (70.3°F) on average
Jan
15.1°C
59.2°F · 13.9–16.6°C
Feb
14.9°C
58.8°F · 13.8–17.4°C
Mar
15.3°C
59.5°F · 13.7–17.7°C
Apr
16.2°C
61.2°F · 14.1–17.7°C
May
17.6°C
63.7°F · 15.8–20.4°C
Jun
18.8°C
65.8°F · 16.1–20.8°C
Jul
21°C
69.8°F · 18.2–24.5°C
Aug
21.6°C
70.9°F · 19.3–24.5°C
Sep
21.3°C
70.3°F · 18.4–24.2°C
Oct
19.6°C
67.3°F · 17.7–23.4°C
Nov
17.8°C
64°F · 15.9–20°C
Dec
16.1°C
61°F · 14.4–19.2°C
25-year monthly averages from the NOAA OISST satellite record — typical range min–max, not a live reading.
Know before you go
Best swell
S–W
Best wind
N–E
Break type
Beach break
Best season
April–October
Safety: Friendly by surf standards, but rip currents and drop-in etiquette still apply. Shifting sandbars create moving rip currents — learn to spot them and use them to get out back. Sharks are part of the ecosystem here — avoid dawn, dusk and murky rivermouth water.
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