Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The surf forecast for Californias over the next 16 days is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of windows that’ll get you frothing. Overall, the pattern is a slow start with some decent size building up in the second week, but the wind and tide conditions are going to be the main talking points.

Right now, we’re looking at Tuesday afternoon, 1st September, and there’s a bit of a pulse. Swell is coming in at about 6.6 ft from the east, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is a fresh offshore from the east at 18.6 mph, which is keeping things clean. The combined wave energy is moderate at 683, so there’s some push. The water temp is 83.5°, which is bang on average for this time of year – nothing too wild there. The catch? The surf is described as marginal, and the tide might be playing tricks. It’s not a total write-off, but you’ll need to be picky about your session.

Moving into Wednesday morning, the 2nd, the swell drops a touch to 5.6 ft from the east, still with a 9-second period and a fresh offshore wind. The energy is a bit lower at 484. Still, it’s clean, but the quality is marginal. That theme continues through the afternoon, with similar conditions.

Thursday the 3rd is where it starts to fall apart. The swell drops to 4.6 ft from the east, but the wind swings around to the north and then northwest, turning cross-off and then cross-shore. The energy is still there at 507 in the morning, but the afternoon gets messy with a cross-chop. Not worth paddling out for.

Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are more of the same – small swell, cross-shore winds, and poor surf conditions. The energy drops below 100 on Friday afternoon, which is basically flat. Saturday sees a little bump back to 4.6 ft from the north, but the wind is cross-off, so it’s clean but weak. The energy is around 363-386. Not really a stand-out.

Sunday the 6th through Tuesday the 8th is a frustrating stretch. The swell hangs around 3.3 ft to 4.3 ft, with periods dropping to 7-8 seconds. The wind is mostly cross-off or cross, and the energy is low. The surf is either poor or just marginal. This is a gap of several days with no real recommendation.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. From Wednesday the 9th, we start to see a ramp-up. The morning has 5.6 ft from the north with a 9-second period and a gentle cross-off breeze. The energy is back up to 506. The afternoon jumps to 6.9 ft from the NNW, but the period is still short at 8 seconds. It’s clean, but it’s a bit of a mushy mix.

The standout window starts to shape up on Thursday the 10th. Swell builds to 7.9 ft from the NNW with a 8-second period in the morning, and the energy is strong at 924. The wind is a moderate cross-off from the NNE. It’s clean, but the period is short, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and close-outy at a beach break. Still, it’s the best size we’ve seen. The afternoon holds similar.

Friday the 11th is the pick of the first real run. Morning sees 8.2 ft from the NNW, 9-second period, and a fresh cross-off wind. The combined energy is pumping at 1310 – that’s strong wave energy. This is big, clean, and powerful. But I’ve got to be honest: at 8.2 ft, this is getting into expert territory. The period is only 9 seconds, so it’ll be a bit walled up, but for the right crew, it’s going to be a fun,

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