Bolinas Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for Bolinas Jetty over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I’ll be straight with you—the first few days of this forecast are a bit of a struggle. The swell is small and the wind isn’t doing us any favors. The water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

We’ve got a long period groundswell coming from the SW on Sunday the 16th, with a 16-second period and a swell height around 3 ft, but the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy. The wave energy is moderate (448). It’s not great for paddling out, and the conditions are marginal. Monday the 17th is more of the same, with the wind picking up on Monday afternoon making it a write-off.

Now, Tuesday morning the 18th is where we start to see a little light. The swell drops to 2 ft, but we get a nice cross-offshore wind from the WNW, and the conditions are clean. The combined energy is moderate (347). It’s small, but it’s glassy. That’s a good time for a longboard session if you’re a beginner, because this break is fairly consistent and beginner-friendly. Crowds are sometimes around, so you might have some company.

Wednesday morning the 19th is another clean, small morning with 2 ft of SW swell and a 15-second period. The energy is moderate (456), and the light cross-offshore wind makes it look tidy. Best bet for a quiet, clean wave.

Then we hit a bit of a funk from Thursday the 20th through Sunday the 23rd. The swell picks up a bit, but the period drops short (around 7-8 seconds), and the wind stays cross-off but moderate. The energy is moderate (ranging from 356 to 458), but the wave quality is poor. For a beach/jetty setup like this, with short-period, choppy swell, it’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing honestly.

Monday the 24th is a total dud with tiny swell (1 ft) and onshore wind. Not worth the drive.

The pattern picks up again on Tuesday the 25th morning with a clean, cross-offshore wind and a 4 ft WNW swell, but the period is short (7 seconds). The energy is moderate (427). The afternoon gets a bit more size (6 ft) and cleaner, but still short period. For the more experienced surfers, the afternoon could be fun, but it’s not a standout.

Wednesday the 26th morning is clean with a 4 ft WNW swell (7 seconds), and moderate energy (270). Light winds, good shape. A solid morning for a log or a funboard.

Now, the best looking window in the whole forecast falls on Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th. We’ve got a moderate WNW swell building to 6 ft, with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is strong (717 on Thursday, 748 on Friday). The wind is light and cross-shore, so the waves will be clean and lined up. This is the standout period. The swell direction is a bit off from the optimum SSW, but the size, consistency, and clean conditions make it the best on offer. Keep in mind, with a 6 ft swell, it’s getting a bit big for beginners, but it’s solid for intermediates and up.

After that, the last few days of the month (Saturday the 29th through Monday the 31st) drop back down to smaller, cleaner SW groundswells (2 ft to 3 ft, 14-16 second periods). The energy is moderate (246 to 514). The wind stays light and cross-off on the mornings, so those are good for a clean, small wave session. The Saturday morning the 29th is the pick of that little run.

So, to wrap it up: the real standout is Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th with the biggest, cleanest swell of the period. The rest is a mix of small, clean mornings and some choppy, short-period slop. The Bolinas Jetty is a beach/jetty break, so it handles the long-period groundswells well, but keep an eye on the tide for those.

Rusty.

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