Should I boat at Long Beach, CA today?

Conditions right now

GO as of Oct 23, 11:22 AM ET: wind NW 4 kt, gusts 5 kt; waves about 2 ft every 6 s. Conditions are within typical limits for small and mid-size recreational boats.

From the NWS gridded forecast for this launch. The live page adds buoy observations, marine warnings and an hour-by-hour timeline.

About Long Beach, CA

• Water: Southern California Coast
• Location: 33.750, -118.190
• NWS marine forecast zone: PZZ655
• Live observations: NDBC PRJC1, NDBC PFXC1

How the wind direction plays here

• Onshore (waves pile up at the launch, often rougher than the open-water number): SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW
• Offshore (deceptively calm at the ramp, rougher farther out, and it pushes you away from shore): N, NNE, NE, NW, NNW
• Cross-shore (moderate; watch which way it trends): ENE, E, ESE, WSW, W, WNW

Why direction matters: wind direction and fetch.

Nearby launches on Southern California Coast

• Newport Beach, CA (21 mi): CAUTION, wind S 4 kt, gusts 5 kt; waves about 3 ft every 6 s
• Marina del Rey, CA (21 mi): GO, wind N 4 kt, gusts 5 kt; waves about 2 ft every 6 s
• Dana Point, CA (35 mi): CAUTION, wind SE 5 kt, gusts 6 kt; waves about 3 ft every 6 s
• Oceanside Harbor, CA (59 mi): GO, wind E 7 kt, gusts 8 kt; waves about 3 ft every 11 s
• Channel Islands Harbor / Oxnard, CA (66 mi): CAUTION, wind NNW 7 kt, gusts 8 kt; waves about 4 ft every 6 s
• Mission Bay, CA (87 mi): GO, wind SE 5 kt; waves about 2 ft every 11 s