Bolsa Chica Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I gotta be straight with you – it's a tough stretch of days ahead. The swell is tiny, and the wind is just not playing ball. We're looking at a long, dry spell with no real surf to get excited about.

For the first week and a half, from Wednesday the 12th right through until about Monday the 24th of August, it's pretty much a washout. The waves are mostly in the 1 ft to 3 ft range, and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, which just messes up what little bump there is. The water temp at Bolsa Chica is sitting at 70°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice little bonus if you're just floating around, but not enough to save the surf.

The combined swell energy is weak, mostly sitting between 100 and 300, which is just a pittance of energy. Even when the swell period gets long, like a 19-second groundswell on the Friday morning of the 14th, the height is only 2 ft. That long period energy is just getting lost on the way in.

There's a tiny glimmer on the 17th and 18th of August, where the morning wind is light and offshore, but the swell is still only 2 ft to 3 ft. The score just isn't there. It's a marginal call, maybe a knee-high dribble for the most patient beginner on a foamy, but I wouldn't paddle out for it.

The only real standout, if you can call it that, is towards the very end of the window. On the morning of Wednesday the 26th of August, the swell from the SW picks up to 3 ft with a 16-second period, and the wind is light and offshore from the WSW. The energy jumps to 375 (moderate), which is the best we'll see. Then on Thursday the 27th, it bumps up to 3 ft from the SW with a 15-second period, and energy over 450. But that Thursday morning, the wind is a cross-onshore from the SSE, which will chop it up. So, the Wednesday morning, August 26th, is the best bet for a clean, small wave session at Bolsa Chica. It's not a world-beater, but it's the only window that looks halfway decent.

So, for the next week and a half, save your wax. The forecast can always change, but right now, mark your calendar for the 26th of August if you're desperate for a paddle.

Rusty.

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