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Pipes - San elijo state beach, United States

Stay in Encinitas: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Encinitas

All 49 on Encinitas's map

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MoonlightBeach EncinitasCA
Encinitas, the nearest town, 1 km away. Photo: Original uploader was Ohnoitsjamie at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Pipes - San elijo state beach

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces W (253°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (73°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 46). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, March, April and May, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Encinitas, 1.3 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 22 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 20°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 6 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to San Diego International Airport (SAN), direct.

    See flights MDW → SAN · Skyscanner from about £215 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 55 min from the airport to Pipes - San elijo state beach.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in EncinitasAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Encinitas · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Encinitas · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Pipes - San elijo state beach on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct603 ft13 scrumbling326kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct644 ft13 scrumbling386kJ26°C
Tue 20Oct593 ft12 scrumbling317kJ24°C
Wed 21Oct503 ft12 scrumbling251kJ24°C
Thu 22Oct423 ft12 smushy219kJ21°C
Fri 23Oct403 ft10 scrumbling136kJ22°C
Sat 24Oct372 ft12 scrumbling133kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct292 ft12 scrumbling89kJ23°C
Mon 26Oct172 ft11 scrumbling54kJ20°C
Tue 27Oct363 ft4 smushy28kJ20°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SAN, then 55 min by road. About 6h 55 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Pipes - San elijo state beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Pipes - San elijo state beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Grandview

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Pipes - San elijo state beach

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 1 kn (1 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SAN, then 55 min by road. About 6h 55 door to door

The plan picks the best of 24 spots near Encinitas each day: 85's, Barney's, Beacons, Boneyards, Bus stop's, Cardiff reef, D Street, Dabbers, Encinitas - D Street, Grandview, H's, Leucadia, Little Tahitis, Pipes - San elijo state beach, Sea bluff, Seaside Reef, Stone Steps, Stretchmark Beach, Suckouts, Swamis, Tabletops Playgrounds, Tippers, Tomatoe Patch, Turtles.

The trip from Encinitas, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £955–£1,735 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SAN, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£215–£445
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£60–£100
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£955–£1,735

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Encinitas

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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