Bolinas Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, it's Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the Bolinas Jetty stretch over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we've got a bit of a slow start. The first few days are looking pretty average, with a few windows that are just about rideable but nothing to get the heart racing. The water temp is sitting at 58°F at Bolinas Jetty, which is right about normal for this time of year, so you won't need any extra rubber.

The first real chance for a wave comes Friday afternoon, the 31st of July. We've got a WNW swell pushing in at 5ft, but it's a short-period 7-second windswell, and the wind is a cross-offshore breeze at 16 mph. The combined energy is moderate (461), but the conditions are clean and the surf is marginal. It's a beginner-friendly spot, but it's not going to be pretty.

Things start to look a bit better on Saturday morning, the 1st of August. The swell drops slightly to 5ft from the WNW, but the period stretches to 8 seconds and the wind drops to a light 6 mph cross-offshore. The energy is a bit weaker (450), but this is a solid window for a beginner to get some clean, mellow waves. The afternoon sees the swell build to 7ft (650 energy), but the wind picks up to 12 mph, making it messier. Sunday morning the 2nd looks like the pick of the early run. The swell is 6ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the wind is a light 3 mph cross-shore – almost glassy. The combined energy is ramping up to 779, and the light wind means the surface will be clean. This is a good one for a more confident beginner or an intermediate, as it's not too big but has some push.

From the afternoon of Sunday the 2nd through to the 5th, the quality drops off. The wind swings onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell gets a bit lumpy. The highest energy hits 782 on Sunday afternoon, but the onshore breeze messes with the shape. The 3rd of August has a morning onshore wind from the south at 6 mph, making it a write-off.

The middle of the week, from the 4th to the 6th, is mostly poor with onshore winds and dropping swell, but there's a flicker of life on Thursday the 6th. The afternoon shows a 5ft WNW swell with a 10-second period, and a light cross-shore breeze. The energy is 559, and it's clean enough for a surf, but it's still marginal.

The next real standout is a bit of a long shot, but it's the best of the bunch. Friday the 7th of August morning has a 6ft WNW swell (693 energy), but the wind is directly onshore from the south at 6 mph. The afternoon is a write-off. Saturday the 8th is similar – onshore winds in the morning and cross-onshore in the afternoon.

After the 8th, it's a long, slow decline. The swell drops to 4ft by the 10th, and the wind is consistently onshore or cross-onshore from the south or southwest. The combined energy sinks from the 400s into the 300s. By the 12th of August, the swell has collapsed to a tiny 2ft, even though it's a very long-period 18-second groundswell from the SW. The energy is weak (314), and it's too small to do anything with. From the 12th through to the 15th, the swell stays tiny, around 2ft to 2ft, with periods between 14 and 18 seconds, but the wind is always onshore. It's a full-on flat spell. There's a long gap of several days with no real recommendations.

So, the best wave on offer is the Sunday morning, the 2nd of August, at Bolinas Jetty. The 6ft WNW swell with a 9-second period, combined with that glassy 3 mph cross-shore wind, will be the cleanest and most fun wave of the whole period. The combined energy of 779 is moderate, but the conditions will make it. The Saturday morning, the 1st of August, is a close second for the beginners or those wanting a really easy paddle. The rest of the run is a bit of a struggle – inconsistent, onshore, and messy. For an area that's "fairly consistent", this is a below-average run.

Rusty.

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