Bolinas Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer at Bolinas Jetty. This is a beginner-friendly beach and jetty setup, and it’s fairly consistent, so there are always some waves to be had. The water temperature is sitting at 61°, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year—nice for a longer session.

The outlook starts pretty small. Monday afternoon the 24th we’ve got a 2ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, but the wind is cross and it’s pretty poor. On Tuesday morning the 25th it cleans up a bit with a cross-offshore breeze and 2ft SW swell (16s period), making for some clean waves that are just about surfable. That’s about as good as it gets for the first few days. The combined wave energy is moderate, around 298 (24th) and 287 (25th) on the energy scale, so nothing powerful, just small, long-period lines. For a beginner spot like this, that’s fine—small and clean.

We get a bit more energy mid-week. Wednesday morning the 26th has 2ft SW swell (16s) with a light cross-off wind, clean but very ordinary. By Thursday morning the 27th, the swell shifts to S direction, still 2ft but period drops to 12s, energy is 362—still small. Then Thursday afternoon the wind picks up to 25 km/h (16 mph), and a 6ft WNW swell hits, but with a short 6-second period and messy wind, creating poor conditions. That one’s not for the paddle crew.

The weekend looks a little better, but nothing to write home about. Friday morning the 28th has 2ft SW swell (17s), clean, but marginal. Saturday morning the 29th bumps to 3ft SW swell (18s) with cross-off wind, energy up to 842—moderate energy now, but still just marginal conditions. Sunday the 30th similar: 3ft SW swell (16-15s), cross-off or slightly cross wind, all clean but not great. The combined energy stays moderate, between 574 and 842, but we’re still waiting for a proper standout.

The first week is basically small and clean, but never really good. There’s a standout opportunity further out. The best on offer looks to be Tuesday morning 8 September. We see a 4ft WNW swell (10s), cross-offshore wind, clean conditions, and the energy bumps up to 655 (moderate). The score internally is a solid 2, which is the best of the run. Swell direction matches the optimum SSW direction? No, it’s WNW, so not bang-on for the jetty, but the clean cross-off wind and bigger swell make it the pick. Wednesday morning 2 September also has a 3ft WNW swell but with cross-on wind, so not as clean. For beginners, any swell above 5ft starts to get too big, and this 4ft is right on the edge—maybe a touch much for true beginners, but manageable. If you’re an early intermediate, this is your window.

Because this is a fairly consistent spot, there are no major gaps—just a stretch of small, marginal days. The long-range call for 8 September is promising but less certain.

Stay safe, keep your head on a swivel, and don’t expect barrels. This is Bolinas—small, clean, and mellow.

Rusty.

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