Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Californias over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, there's no surf on the cards for the immediate days. The first real chance to paddle out doesn’t show up until Tuesday the 4th of August. That afternoon, we’ve got a clean little 4ft easterly swell rolling in with a long 17-second period, and cross-off winds from the NE at 9 mph. The water’s sittin’ at a warm 87°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The combined energy is a solid 1009 (moderate wave energy), so it’s not just a dribble. This is a groundswell with real push, but at a reef break like this, that long period will wrap in nicely. However, crowds are likely here on the good days.

Wednesday the 5th starts clean again in the morning with a 6ft easterly swell and the same 17-second pulse, but the wind picks up to 16 mph by the afternoon. The energy jumps to 1682 in the morning and 2149 that arvo—strong wave energy—but the wind will be pushin’ it a bit, so the quality starts to drop.

Thursday the 6th is the peak of the swell window. Thursday morning sees 12ft easterly swell with a 18-second period and a massive 7275 combined energy—very strong wave energy, but the wind is a solid 28 mph cross-off. That’s big and clean enough for experts only. The swell is over 8ft, so this is not for the learner crew. By the afternoon, the wind cranks up to 31 mph and the surf gets messy.

Now, the standout in the whole run... Friday the 7th morning is a monster. We’re lookin’ at 23ft of pure north swell with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is a staggering 23287—very, very strong. The winds are cross-shore at 50 mph with moderate rain. But here’s the thing: the swell is too big for this break. It’s churning with severe gale force gusts, and it stays that way through the weekend with hurricane-force winds on Saturday the 8th. This is not a surf session—this is survival.

Sunday the 9th is even bigger: 33ft to 43ft swells with violent storm force winds onshore. Avoid the water. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during this entire period from Friday through Monday, with onshore gales and heaving swell. The break is a reef, so it’ll just be a washing machine.

By Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th of August, the swell drops back under 7ft, but the wind stays messy from the SSW, cross-onshore, and the waves are lumpy and poor. Not worth paddlin’ out.

There’s a long gap after that. From Thursday the 13th all the way through to Sunday the 16th, the swell plummets—1ft to 2ft of weak easterly energy, with combined energy under 100. The waves are weak and the conditions are poor. That’s almost a week of flatness.

On Monday the 17th, the swell bottoms out at 1ft with a short 6-second period and energy at just 12 (weak wave energy). The winds are clean cross-off from the NNE, but there’s nothing to ride. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th finally show a little pulse: 2ft to 3ft of easterly swell with the period back to 12-13 seconds, and clean offshore winds from the ENE at 9-12 mph. The energy climbs to 229 by Wednesday morning—still weak to moderate. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. You’d be scratching for something rideable.

So, if you’re lookin’ for the best of a rough bunch, aim for Tuesday afternoon the 4th of August. That’s your window for clean, long-period easterly groundswell at 4ft, cross-off breeze, and a reef that knows how to handle it. Just be ready for company.

Rusty.

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