Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Californias. I’m looking at the next couple of weeks and, truth be told, it’s a tough stretch for paddle surfing. The overall pattern is flat to tiny with tricky winds, and then it gets big but with all the wrong wind conditions for this spot. There’s a real gap of poor to no surf through the first week, so don’t get your hopes up early.

Kicking off Sunday the 13th, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a tiny 0.3m (about 1 foot) easterly windswell (period 14 seconds), but the combined wave energy is weak at just (47). The water temp is sitting at a warm 29°, which is about average for this time of year. With the wind coming from the ENE at 9 mph (15 km/h) it’s technically offshore, but the data says "poor surf conditions." Not worth paddling out for.

Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th aren’t any better. On Tuesday morning, we finally see a tiny bump to 0.7m (about 2 feet) from the east, period 9 seconds, with combined energy of (125). The wind is light and clean, but the waves are small and ordinary. The same story rolls through Wednesday the 16th with 0.7m (2 feet) and clean offshores, but again, just small, mediocre surf.

Thursday the 17th morning drops back to 0.3m (1 foot), and the pattern of poor conditions stretches all the way through Saturday the 19th. On Saturday afternoon, a 1.1m (4 feet) easterly swell with a very long period of 16 seconds shows up, and the combined energy jumps to (663). But the wind shifts to a strong N at 16 mph (25 km/h), cross-offshore, and the report still says "poor surf conditions." That long-period groundswell would need a better setup, but the wind messes it up.

Sunday the 20th gets bigger – 1.7m (6 feet) from the east, 15-second period, combined energy of (1223) – but it’s accompanied by a gusty N wind at 22 mph (35 km/h). That’s strong and cross-offshore, making for a bumpy, messy ocean. By the afternoon, the wind swings NNW at 25 mph (40 km/h), creating a strong cross-shore chop. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing sesh.

Monday the 21st through Wednesday the 23rd keeps the size around 1.1m to 1.6m (4 to 5 feet) but with fresh to strong cross-onshore or cross-shore winds from the NW and NNW. The wave energy is moderate but the quality is poor. Thursday the 24th cleans up a bit with cross-offshore winds, but by then the swell drops back to 0.8m (3 feet).

The real standout, and honestly the only window worth a look for experienced surfers, arrives on Sunday the 27th and Monday the 28th – that’s about two weeks away, so keep your fingers crossed. On Sunday the 27th, a new NNW swell hits at 3.0m to 3.5m (10 to 12 feet), period 8 seconds. Combined wave energy is very strong (1340-1505). This is big, powerful stuff. On Monday the 28th, it peaks at 4.0m (13 feet) from the NNW with a period of 11 seconds and combined energy over (3709). That’s a lot of juice. The wind stays cross-offshore from the N at 16 mph (25 km/h), so it will be clean. But listen, that swell size is dangerous. Over 8 feet (2.5m), it’s for experts only. The break is a reef, so it could hold shape, but the period is short (8 seconds on Sunday) – that means shorter, steeper, more powerful waves with quick sections. It’s a promising but uncertain long-range call. If you’re a solid barrel rider and the winds hold, this could be the only game in town.

Stay patient, check the charts closer to the date, and don’t fight the flat spell.

Rusty.

Read more