CALIFORNIA / Malibu NorthSPOT / 454

Staircase.

Reef

Left & right34.048° N / 118.951° W

Color satellite and aerial imagery centered on the approximate Staircase catalogue location — Satellite / aerial view · centred on the approximate catalogue pin. Not live imagery.
Powered by Esri · Esri, Vantor, Earthstar Geographics, and the GIS User Community.

Approximate catalogue pin · check the actual shoreline. © OpenStreetMap contributors

Open Staircase on the map ↗Best surf near me

Forecast & tide at a glance

Estimated surf face · feet · Pacific time. The existing PureSurfers face-estimation engine; not a measured or calibrated breaking-wave report.

Estimated surf face1.9 ftOlder cached forecast Thu Nov 12, 12:00am Pacific

Coastal wind1.7 mphNW from · older cache

NOAA tide reference3.3 ftMLLW · Santa Monica

READ THE INDIVIDUAL SWELLS

Swell by swell.

Offshore component height (Hs), not surf-face height. Directions are where waves come from. Component heights do not add together.

Thu Nov 12, 12:00am Pacific

GFS · 4 components

Primary swell

1.0ft Hs

W from · 279° · 12.8 s

1.0 feet

Wind sea

0.0ft Hs

No energy reported for this component

0.0 feet

Secondary swell

1.0ft Hs

SSW from · 201° · 14.0 s

1.0 feet

Tertiary swell

0.3ft Hs

S from · 177° · 10.2 s

0.3 feet

MFWAM · 2 components

Primary swell

2.0ft Hs

SW from · 214° · 11.5 s

2.0 feet

Wind sea

0.0ft Hs

No energy reported for this component

0.0 feet

Each model supplies its own partitions. Missing components remain unavailable; another model’s primary swell is not automatically the same wave system.

Coastal wind retrieved Thu Nov 12, 12:00am · older cache. This is regional modeled wind, not a beach measurement.

Source retrievals: GFS Nov 12, 12:30am · ECMWF Nov 12, 12:15am · MFWAM Nov 12, 12:00am (older cache). Retrieval time is not the model issue time. This page combines all available cached model families; map model selections are separate.

Tide predictions: Santa Monica, 42 km reference; retrieved Thu Nov 12, 12:00am. Station predictions can differ locally.

Seven-day overview

06:00–19:00 forecast hours; daily values are not a full-day maximum.
Pacific day	Estimated surf face	Mean wind	Hours available
Thu Nov 12	2.0 ft	5.0 mph	14/14
Fri Nov 13	2.8 ft	8.8 mph	14/14
Sat Nov 14	3.8 ft	5.5 mph	14/14
Sun Nov 15	2.9 ft	7.8 mph	14/14
Mon Nov 16	3.0 ft	4.8 mph	14/14
Tue Nov 17	2.4 ft	4.7 mph	14/14
Wed Nov 18	1.8 ft	4.1 mph	14/14

Hourly details · next 72 hours

Pacific time	Estimated surf face	Model range	Set proxy	Swell from	Wind	Tide MLLW	Models
Thu 12:00am	1.9 ft	0.9–2.5 ft	2.8 ft	W · 12.5 s	1.7 mph NW	3.3 ft	3
Thu 1:00am	1.9 ft	0.9–2.6 ft	2.8 ft	W · 12.5 s	3.8 mph NNE	3.1 ft	3
Thu 2:00am	1.9 ft	0.8–2.6 ft	2.8 ft	WSW · 12.5 s	4.8 mph N	2.9 ft	3
Thu 3:00am	1.9 ft	0.8–2.7 ft	2.8 ft	WSW · 12.6 s	5.3 mph N	2.8 ft	3
Thu 4:00am	1.9 ft	0.8–2.7 ft	2.8 ft	WSW · 12.6 s	4.6 mph NNE	2.9 ft	3
Thu 5:00am	1.9 ft	0.9–2.7 ft	2.8 ft	WSW · 12.6 s	4.9 mph NNE	3.2 ft	3
Thu 6:00am	1.9 ft	0.8–2.7 ft	2.8 ft	WSW · 12.6 s	4.1 mph NNE	3.8 ft	3
Thu 7:00am	1.9 ft	0.8–2.7 ft	2.8 ft	WSW · 12.6 s	5.2 mph NNE	4.5 ft	3
Thu 8:00am	1.9 ft	0.8–2.8 ft	2.8 ft	WSW · 12.6 s	3.6 mph NNE	5.1 ft	3
Thu 9:00am	1.9 ft	0.9–2.7 ft	2.9 ft	WSW · 12.6 s	2.8 mph SSE	5.5 ft	3
Thu 10:00am	2.0 ft	1.0–2.8 ft	3.0 ft	WSW · 12.5 s	5.7 mph SSE	5.6 ft	3
Thu 11:00am	2.0 ft	0.9–2.8 ft	2.9 ft	WSW · 12.5 s	6.9 mph S	5.2 ft	3
Thu 12:00pm	2.0 ft	0.9–2.8 ft	3.0 ft	WSW · 12.5 s	8.2 mph S	4.5 ft	3
Thu 1:00pm	2.0 ft	0.9–2.9 ft	3.0 ft	WSW · 12.6 s	6.8 mph S	3.5 ft	3
Thu 2:00pm	2.1 ft	1.0–2.9 ft	3.1 ft	WSW · 12.6 s	7.0 mph SSW	2.3 ft	3
Thu 3:00pm	2.1 ft	1.0–2.8 ft	3.1 ft	W · 12.7 s	6.2 mph SW	1.3 ft	3
Thu 4:00pm	2.1 ft	1.0–2.9 ft	3.1 ft	W · 12.8 s	4.1 mph WSW	0.5 ft	3
Thu 5:00pm	2.1 ft	1.0–2.9 ft	3.2 ft	W · 12.9 s	1.1 mph WSW	0.1 ft	3
Thu 6:00pm	2.1 ft	1.1–2.9 ft	3.2 ft	W · 13.0 s	2.5 mph ENE	0.1 ft	3
Thu 7:00pm	2.2 ft	1.1–2.9 ft	3.3 ft	W · 13.0 s	5.7 mph E	0.5 ft	3
Thu 8:00pm	2.4 ft	1.6–3.0 ft	3.6 ft	W · 13.1 s	6.1 mph E	1.1 ft	3
Thu 9:00pm	2.4 ft	1.6–2.9 ft	3.6 ft	W · 13.2 s	6.3 mph ENE	1.9 ft	3
Thu 10:00pm	2.3 ft	1.2–3.0 ft	3.4 ft	W · 13.3 s	8.0 mph ESE	2.5 ft	3
Thu 11:00pm	2.3 ft	1.2–3.0 ft	3.5 ft	W · 13.3 s	9.4 mph SSE	3.0 ft	3
Fri 12:00am	2.4 ft	1.2–3.1 ft	3.5 ft	W · 13.3 s	7.0 mph SE	3.2 ft	3
Fri 1:00am	2.4 ft	1.2–3.2 ft	3.6 ft	W · 13.3 s	9.1 mph E	3.2 ft	3
Fri 2:00am	2.4 ft	1.3–3.2 ft	3.6 ft	W · 13.3 s	9.2 mph E	3.1 ft	3
Fri 3:00am	2.4 ft	1.3–3.2 ft	3.7 ft	W · 13.3 s	9.9 mph ENE	3.0 ft	3
Fri 4:00am	2.5 ft	1.3–3.2 ft	3.7 ft	W · 13.2 s	13.2 mph E	3.0 ft	3
Fri 5:00am	2.5 ft	1.3–3.3 ft	3.8 ft	W · 13.0 s	13.3 mph SE	3.2 ft	3
Fri 6:00am	2.6 ft	1.3–3.4 ft	3.8 ft	W · 12.7 s	9.3 mph SE	3.5 ft	3
Fri 7:00am	2.6 ft	1.3–3.4 ft	3.9 ft	W · 12.5 s	5.9 mph ESE	4.1 ft	3
Fri 8:00am	2.7 ft	1.4–3.5 ft	4.0 ft	W · 12.3 s	9.3 mph ENE	4.6 ft	3
Fri 9:00am	2.7 ft	1.4–3.5 ft	4.0 ft	W · 12.1 s	9.2 mph E	5.1 ft	3
Fri 10:00am	2.7 ft	1.4–3.6 ft	4.0 ft	W · 11.9 s	13.5 mph ESE	5.3 ft	3
Fri 11:00am	2.7 ft	1.4–3.6 ft	4.1 ft	WSW · 11.6 s	11.0 mph ESE	5.2 ft	3
Fri 12:00pm	2.8 ft	1.4–3.7 ft	4.2 ft	WSW · 11.3 s	9.7 mph ESE	4.8 ft	3
Fri 1:00pm	2.8 ft	1.5–3.8 ft	4.2 ft	WSW · 10.9 s	7.5 mph SE	4.0 ft	3
Fri 2:00pm	2.8 ft	1.5–3.9 ft	4.3 ft	WSW · 10.6 s	7.5 mph SE	3.1 ft	3
Fri 3:00pm	2.9 ft	1.5–4.0 ft	4.3 ft	WSW · 10.2 s	6.6 mph WSW	2.1 ft	3
Fri 4:00pm	3.0 ft	1.6–4.1 ft	4.5 ft	WSW · 9.9 s	8.9 mph W	1.2 ft	3
Fri 5:00pm	3.1 ft	1.6–4.4 ft	4.6 ft	WSW · 9.5 s	8.3 mph W	0.6 ft	3
Fri 6:00pm	3.1 ft	1.7–4.5 ft	4.7 ft	WSW · 9.0 s	8.7 mph W	0.3 ft	3
Fri 7:00pm	3.2 ft	1.7–4.7 ft	4.8 ft	WSW · 8.7 s	7.7 mph W	0.4 ft	3
Fri 8:00pm	3.3 ft	1.7–4.9 ft	5.0 ft	WSW · 8.5 s	7.5 mph W	0.8 ft	3
Fri 9:00pm	3.4 ft	1.7–4.9 ft	5.1 ft	WSW · 8.3 s	6.2 mph W	1.3 ft	3
Fri 10:00pm	3.5 ft	1.7–5.1 ft	5.2 ft	WSW · 8.3 s	7.0 mph W	2.0 ft	3
Fri 11:00pm	3.5 ft	1.7–4.9 ft	5.2 ft	WSW · 8.3 s	8.9 mph W	2.5 ft	3
Sat 12:00am	3.5 ft	1.7–4.8 ft	5.2 ft	WSW · 8.5 s	7.2 mph WSW	2.9 ft	3
Sat 1:00am	3.4 ft	1.7–4.5 ft	5.1 ft	W · 8.7 s	7.9 mph W	3.2 ft	3
Sat 2:00am	3.4 ft	1.8–4.4 ft	5.1 ft	W · 8.9 s	4.9 mph WNW	3.2 ft	3
Sat 3:00am	3.5 ft	2.2–4.2 ft	5.2 ft	W · 9.2 s	2.7 mph N	3.2 ft	3
Sat 4:00am	3.5 ft	2.3–4.2 ft	5.2 ft	W · 9.7 s	3.5 mph W	3.2 ft	3
Sat 5:00am	3.3 ft	1.7–4.2 ft	5.0 ft	W · 10.3 s	3.9 mph W	3.2 ft	3
Sat 6:00am	3.4 ft	1.9–4.3 ft	5.0 ft	W · 11.0 s	3.1 mph WNW	3.4 ft	3
Sat 7:00am	3.4 ft	1.9–4.3 ft	5.1 ft	W · 11.6 s	2.7 mph NW	3.7 ft	3
Sat 8:00am	3.5 ft	2.1–4.5 ft	5.3 ft	W · 12.2 s	3.0 mph WNW	4.2 ft	3
Sat 9:00am	4.0 ft	3.3–4.7 ft	6.0 ft	W · 12.7 s	3.7 mph S	4.6 ft	3
Sat 10:00am	3.7 ft	2.3–4.8 ft	5.6 ft	W · 13.1 s	4.7 mph S	4.8 ft	3
Sat 11:00am	3.8 ft	2.4–5.0 ft	5.7 ft	W · 13.5 s	6.0 mph S	4.9 ft	3
Sat 12:00pm	4.0 ft	3.0–5.0 ft	6.0 ft	W · 13.7 s	7.0 mph S	4.8 ft	3
Sat 1:00pm	3.9 ft	2.4–5.1 ft	5.8 ft	W · 13.9 s	8.2 mph S	4.3 ft	3
Sat 2:00pm	3.9 ft	2.4–5.1 ft	5.8 ft	W · 14.0 s	9.3 mph SSE	3.7 ft	3
Sat 3:00pm	3.9 ft	2.5–5.2 ft	5.8 ft	W · 14.0 s	8.5 mph SSE	2.8 ft	3
Sat 4:00pm	3.8 ft	2.4–5.2 ft	5.8 ft	W · 14.0 s	7.6 mph SE	2.0 ft	3
Sat 5:00pm	3.8 ft	2.4–5.2 ft	5.7 ft	W · 14.0 s	5.8 mph SE	1.3 ft	3
Sat 6:00pm	3.8 ft	2.4–5.1 ft	5.7 ft	W · 14.0 s	3.8 mph ESE	0.7 ft	3
Sat 7:00pm	3.7 ft	2.2–5.1 ft	5.6 ft	W · 13.9 s	3.7 mph E	0.5 ft	3
Sat 8:00pm	3.8 ft	2.3–5.0 ft	5.6 ft	W · 13.8 s	4.3 mph E	0.6 ft	3
Sat 9:00pm	3.7 ft	2.2–4.9 ft	5.5 ft	W · 13.6 s	4.8 mph E	0.9 ft	3
Sat 10:00pm	3.7 ft	2.2–4.8 ft	5.5 ft	W · 13.5 s	4.8 mph ENE	1.4 ft	3
Sat 11:00pm	3.6 ft	2.2–4.6 ft	5.3 ft	W · 13.3 s	5.4 mph ENE	2.0 ft	3
Sun 12:00am	3.5 ft	2.1–4.5 ft	5.2 ft	W · 13.2 s	6.0 mph ENE	2.6 ft	3

Model spread is not a confidence interval. Tide and wind are context, not new corrections to surf size. Larger sets and changing hazards remain possible.

This page reads the shared cache first. Refresh requests only this spot’s existing regional samples.

Know the spot

A well-loved north Malibu reef ladder, often rewarding patient line selection.

Break type: Reef
Wave direction: Left & right
Reported difficulty: Advanced
Bottom: Rock / reef
Reported swell preference: SSW–W
Reported tide preference: Low–mid

This entry is mapped as a searchable surf zone rather than a claim of one frozen takeoff. Expect shifts with sand, tide, swell angle and crowd pressure.

Before paddling out: Currents, crowding, submerged reef or cobble, water-quality changes after rain, and shifting bars.

Public access Reference-corrected coastal area; approximate takeoff, not surveyed

Source references

Provenance is not proof that every inherited claim or current access condition has been rechecked.

THE FIELD GUIDE / Staircase

Read this stretch of coast.

Follow the swell window

The catalogue’s reported preference for Staircase is “SSW–W”. Compare that description with each component’s incoming direction and period. An offshore swell number is a reference; the local wave still depends on the actual shoreline, bottom and tide.

Check the water level

Reported tide preference: Low–mid. Follow the named NOAA station and its trend through your intended session, then inspect the entry and exit at the beach. A station prediction is not a water-level sensor at this takeoff.

Read the bottom and the lineup

Catalogue bottom: Rock / reef. Reported difficulty: Advanced. Watch several sets before choosing where to enter, keep clear of riders, and compare the actual wave with your ability and equipment.

A useful note for next time

Record the section you actually surfed, the time, incoming swell direction and period, wind and tide trend. Add what the wave did: connected sections, closeouts, drift or exposed obstacles. Comparing that observation with the same model next time is more useful than treating one colored number as the whole session.

Camera references nearby

No nearby camera reference in the current registry. The atlas camera layer may have other regional views.

Links to third-party camera pages, not owned feeds. Proximity does not confirm the camera sees this break. Playback and image freshness have not been verified by this page.

Make the next session easier

Lineup etiquette · Paddling technique · How these forecasts work

Nearby spots to compare

PureSurfers is built by Peter Ochabski. Spot profiles combine retained sources and contributor observations; this is not a claim he has surfed or verified every entry.

COASTAL WAVE GUIDANCE

Waves at the model cells

1.44–3.48 ft

Significant wave height (Hs) before the legacy spot reduction. This is not a measured breaking-face or set range.

Nearshore and buoy trends load here. Coverage and observation times are shown separately.