Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Well, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch to start. We’re looking at a real dry spell through the first week, with nothing but tiny, weak dribble on the charts. Saturday the 22nd kicks off with a tiny 0.7 ft swell from the east-northeast, but that fresh cross-shore breeze out of the south-southeast will have the surface all lumpy and chopped up. Not worth paddling out for. Sunday and Monday are clean but the swell is basically non-existent, with the combined energy barely registering (8 to 37). Tuesday the 25th is a real tease – Tuesday afternoon sees a sudden spike to 11.5 ft from the east, with a very long period of 16 seconds and a massive 5791 combined energy. But the wind is a fresh cross-off from the north. Sounds good, right? The problem is the forecast flags it as marginal, and with that size, period, and direction, it’s going to be a freight train, breaking straight and fast across the reef. This is advanced territory only, and even then, it’s a gamble. The rest of that week is blown out or messy, with a near gale on Wednesday the 26th smashing things up.

The second week starts to look a little more promising. Tuesday the 1st of September, we finally get some gentle offshore winds from the east-northeast to go with a 2.6 ft, 12-second east swell. The combined energy is 166, still weak but real. The water temperature is a toasty 83.5°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The conditions are described as "surfable but very ordinary," so you’ll be scratching for a ride, but at least it’s clean. Then, Thursday the 3rd of September is where the real alert goes up. We’ve got a 5.2 ft east swell rolling in, with a very long period of 15 seconds and a solid 1537 combined energy. The wind is a moderate cross-off from the north-northeast, keeping the surface clean. This is the standout. It’s a long-range call, so don’t lock it in, but if it holds, that long-period groundswell will wrap in nicely, offering the best shape and energy of the whole forecast. It’s a bit big for the beginners, but for the experienced crew, it’s the one to circle. The crowds at Californias are often there, so expect some company if you go.

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