Bolsa Chica Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Bolsa Chica.

First off, it’s going to be a frustrating stretch for a while. The water is running really warm – about 73°F on Thursday afternoon, which is a massive 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That feels pretty weird, but it won't help the waves. The energy in the water is moderate at best, with combined energy readings sitting in the three-digit range, like 333 and 387.

Looking at the whole 16-day window, we have to be honest: most of it is a write-off. From Thursday the 27th all the way through to Monday the 7th of September, the surf is consistently rated as poor or marginal. The swell is small – mostly between 2 ft and 4 ft – and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore from the SW, WSW, or S, just chopping everything up. The period on the swell is often long – 11 to 19 seconds – which would be nice if the direction and winds played ball, but they don't. It’s a classic summer grind of small, bumpy lines. For a beginner spot like Bolsa Chica (Orange County), the swell is never big enough to be dangerous, and it’s fairly consistent, but the quality just isn’t there for paddle surfing. Honestly, with the onshore winds and small, weak bumps, this setup looks way more interesting for kite surfing than a proper surf session.

There is one genuine standout, but it’s a long way out. On the morning of Tuesday, the 8th of September, things finally click. We’ve got light rain, a tiny 2 ft swell from the SSW, but critically, the wind goes glassy from the north. That’s a huge shift. Combined energy is 395 (moderate). The waves won’t be big, but for the first time in two weeks that wind window will make it clean. It'll be a session for the log or a fun board where you can actually surf the face. Expect a few other folks out – crowds are listed as “sometimes” here, and on a rare clean day, you can bet it’ll be busier than usual.

After that, it goes back to the same old story. Wednesday the 9th through to Friday the 11th of September are back to poor surf with onshore winds. Thursday morning the 10th keeps a little hope with a 3 ft SSW swell and light cross-onshore, but it’s still marginal.

So the takeaway is: tough run for the next 11 days or so. Nothing is worth rushing out for until that glassy morning on Tuesday the 8th. Mark it in the calendar, but don't hold your breath for anything before then.

Rusty.

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