Rough water today
forecastNo weather alert for El Matador State Beach, but the forecast has waves to 5 ft. Fine for a walk, not for a swim.
Rough water today. Partly cloudy, high near 71°. No real rain risk. Driest stretch: all day, but dry isn't calm. Keep out of rough water.
forecastRain OutlookOpen-Meteo
tap an hourTop rain chance is just 0%, but dry doesn't mean calm today. See the surf and wind above.
Tide
0.3 ft · falling ↘
Next low tide
12:24 PM 0.2 ft
T−…
1.9 ft of drop from the 7:54 AM high; the wet sand is widest from about 11:24 AM.
Wind
6 mph
from the S
UV Index
Moderate
easy sunscreen day
Time to Burn
UV 5 · incl. sand glarefor unprotected fair skin (burns easily, tans a little). SPF 30+, reapply every 2 hours and after every swim.
An estimate from the standard erythemal dose model, not a medical limit. Darker skin burns more slowly than this, people vary either way, and sunscreen only helps if you use enough of it and reapply.
Rip Current Riskestimated
todayDangerous currents likely. Knee-deep only, lifeguarded sand only.
Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.
Beach Flag
Red Flag
knee-deep only
estimated · trust the lifeguard
Water Quality
bacteria testingEl Matador has been posted or closed for bacteria 11 times since 2022, most often for bacterial standards violation.
This is history, not today. The state archive runs months behind (through 2026-03-06), so check the county for the current posting.
Today’s official resultSource: Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Water by Monthtypical
avg 2021–2024Warmest around August (70°), coolest around March (58°).
surf’s up (gently)
Tides are NOAA predictions (El Matador State Beach station 9410660); temps, wind, UV, waves and water temp are live from Open-Meteo; rip current risk from the NWS surf-zone forecast. Flag status is estimated from wave height and wind, so always trust the lifeguard’s actual flag over this app.
Rough water today. No weather alert for El Matador State Beach, but the forecast has waves to 5 ft. Fine for a walk, not for a swim. The water at El Matador State Beach is 72°F (22°C) today, 11°F warmer than the usual 62°F for November. For swimming it is cool but swimmable. Waves are 4–5 ft (rough). The air is 71°F, with light 5 mph winds from the SSW. The UV index reaches 5 (moderate). The National Weather Service rip current risk is moderate.
The water holds steady around 72°F through Sun Nov 8.
The week ahead at El Matador State Beach, day by day: the sky, the high, the strongest wind and the biggest waves, the UV peak and the daytime chance of rain, and the water temperature. The calmest day for a swim looks like Sun Nov 8.
| Day | Sky | High | Wind | Waves | UV | Rain | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Cloudy | 71°F | 12 mph | 4.9 ft | 5 | 0% | 72°F |
| Tue Nov 3 | Cloudy | 71°F | 18 mph | 4.9 ft | 4 | 0% | 72°F |
| Wed Nov 4 | Sunny | 75°F | 9 mph | 4.9 ft | 5 | 0% | 72°F |
| Thu Nov 5 | Cloudy | 77°F | 6 mph | 4.5 ft | 5 | 0% | 72°F |
| Fri Nov 6 | Cloudy | 86°F | 10 mph | 3.1 ft | 5 | 0% | 73°F |
| Sat Nov 7 | Sunny | 86°F | 8 mph | 3 ft | 5 | 0% | 73°F |
| Sun Nov 8 | Sunny | 86°F | 7 mph | 2.5 ft | 4 | 0% | 73°F |
High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 9410660. Heights are in feet above the average low tide. The shell window is the last hour and a quarter of the ebb and the first three-quarters of the flood around the day’s lowest daylight low, when the most sand is bare; the lowest low of the week is marked.
| Day | Tide 1 | Tide 2 | Tide 3 | Tide 4 | Shell window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | High 4:52 AM 4.4 | Low 9:58 AM 2.8 | High 3:30 PM 4.9 | Low 10:35 PM 0.1 | 8:43 AM–10:43 AM |
| Tue Nov 3 | High 5:28 AM 4.9 | Low 11:11 AM 2.1 | High 4:48 PM 4.8 | Low 11:21 PM 0.3 | 9:56 AM–11:56 AM |
| Wed Nov 4 | High 5:59 AM 5.3 | Low 12:06 PM 1.3 | High 5:52 PM 4.7 | — | 10:51 AM–12:51 PM |
| Thu Nov 5 | Low 12:00 AM 0.6 | High 6:28 AM 5.7 | Low 12:52 PM 0.7 | High 6:47 PM 4.6 | 11:37 AM–1:37 PM |
| Fri Nov 6 | Low 12:33 AM 1.0 | High 6:55 AM 6.0 | Low 1:33 PM 0.2 | High 7:36 PM 4.4 | 12:18 PM–2:18 PM |
| Sat Nov 7 | Low 1:03 AM 1.3 | High 7:21 AM 6.2 | Low 2:11 PM -0.2 | High 8:22 PM 4.3 | 12:56 PM–2:56 PM |
| Sun Nov 8 | Low 1:30 AM 1.7 | High 7:47 AM 6.3 | Low 2:47 PM -0.4 | High 9:05 PM 4.1 | 1:32 PM–3:32 PM · best |
The average sea temperature at El Matador State Beach for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in August (70°F) and coolest in March (58°F). It never averages 74°F, so most swimmers use a wetsuit.
| Month | Water °F | Water °C | For swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59°F | 15°C | Cold |
| February | 58°F | 14°C | Cold |
| March | 58°F | 14°C | Cold |
| April | 58°F | 15°C | Cold |
| May | 61°F | 16°C | Chilly |
| June | 65°F | 18°C | Chilly |
| July | 68°F | 20°C | Cool |
| August | 70°F | 21°C | Cool |
| September | 70°F | 21°C | Cool |
| October | 66°F | 19°C | Chilly |
| November (now) | 62°F | 16°C | Chilly |
| December | 60°F | 16°C | Chilly |
Rip currents. Today’s National Weather Service rip current risk is moderate. If a current pulls you away from shore, don’t fight it: swim parallel to the beach until you are out of it, then swim back in. If you can’t, float and wave for help.
Sun. The UV index peaks at 5 today. Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Water quality. El Matador State Beach has been posted or closed for bacteria 11 times since 2022, about 2.8 a year, most often for bacterial standards violation. Official sampling results →
Dogs. Dogs are not allowed on this beach.
Swim near a lifeguard when one is on duty, and follow the beach flags and posted signs. The El Matador State Beach rules page covers dogs, alcohol, fires and more.
Under 1 ft is calm, good for small children and floating. 1–2 ft is small, fine for most swimmers. 2–4 ft is moderate: fun for bodyboarding, harder for weak swimmers. 4–6 ft is rough, and over 6 ft is dangerous for swimming. Today at El Matador State Beach it’s rough.
Under 8 mph is light and pleasant. 8–15 mph is breezy, good for kites and cooler on a hot day. 15–25 mph blows sand and whips up the water. Over 25 mph most people pack up. Today at El Matador State Beach it’s light.
0–2 is low, 3–5 moderate, 6–7 high, 8–10 very high and 11 or more extreme. At 8 or more, fair skin can burn in under 20 minutes. The UV index is highest around midday even when it is cloudy.
Under 60°F is cold and most people want a wetsuit. 68–73°F is cool but swimmable. 74–79°F feels comfortable, and 80°F or more feels warm.
72°F (22°C), 11°F warmer than the usual 62°F for November.
At 72°F the water is cool but swimmable. Waves are 4–5 ft, which is rough. The rip current risk is moderate.
4–5 ft, which is rough. The wind is 5 mph from the SSW.
High tide is at 4:52 AM and 3:30 PM, and low tide is at 9:58 AM and 10:35 PM. Times are NOAA predictions.
The UV index peaks at 5 (moderate). Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
The National Weather Service rates the rip current risk at El Matador State Beach moderate today. If a current pulls you out, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of it, then swim back in.
Highs run 71–86°F over the next 7 days. No day has a strong chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Sun Nov 8.
The water at El Matador State Beach averages about 62°F (16°C) in November.
August is the warmest month, averaging 70°F. March is the coolest, at 58°F.
The water never averages 74°F here. It is warmest in August, at 70°F, so bring a wetsuit most of the year.
The usual water temperature in November at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.
| Zuma Beach conditions | 3 mi | 62°F |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica conditions | 22 mi | 62°F |
| Venice Beach conditions | 23 mi | 62°F |
| Manhattan Beach conditions | 29 mi | 62°F |
| Ventura conditions | 29 mi | 61°F |
| Hermosa Beach conditions | 30 mi | 62°F |
More for El Matador State Beach: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →