Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for our spot. I’ve got to be straight with you—this is a lean run. There’s no surf to get excited about right now, and we’re looking at a long stretch of small, junky conditions with no real standouts. The first few days are a write-off, so if you’ve got the itch, you’ll have to be patient.

We start off with a poor hand. Saturday the 5th is a total mess—risk of thunderstorms, a fresh cross-onshore breeze at 19 mph, and the swell is all over the place. The combined energy is moderate at best (959), but with that wind, it’s lumpy and ugly. That afternoon drops off to a tiny 4 ft from the north, and it’s still cross-onshore. Not worth a paddle.

Sunday the 6th morning finally gives us a flicker of hope. The wind swings offshore from the ENE at 16 mph, and the swell drops to 3 ft from the north with a 9-second period. The combined energy is weak (113), and the forecast calls it “surfable but very ordinary.” It’s clean, but it’s small. For an advanced reef break like Californias, that’s barely a ripple. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

From Sunday afternoon right through to Tuesday the 8th, the swell picks up a bit—hitting 5 ft—but the period drops, the wind shifts cross-off or cross, and it’s all rated poor. The energy climbs a bit (up to 382), but the quality isn’t there. It’s clean but choppy or cross-chop. Not what you want on a reef.

Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th see the swell fade back to under 3 ft. Thursday morning has a gentle offshore and clean conditions with a tiny 2 ft swell (46 energy). It’s surfable but barely. The rest of the first week fades into even smaller stuff, with periods dropping and energy sinking into double digits.

There’s a gap from around the 10th through to the 13th where the swell is tiny—1.0 ft to 1 ft. The energy is pitiful (under 100). That’s three or four days of flatness. On the 13th, the wind goes offshore from the east at 12 mph, but the swell is only 1 ft with a long 14-second period. That long period means it’ll be weak and gutless on a beach or reef setup, though it’s clean. Not worth suiting up.

Things try to lift on Monday the 14th—3 ft from the east with an 8-second period, offshore wind, and moderate energy (175). It’s still “very ordinary.” The long-period stuff on the 15th and 16th is just a tease; the energy drops into the low teens or single digits. The last week is a slow bleed into flatness, with 0.7 ft and 1.0 ft swells and glassy or light offshore winds.

If you’re a kitesurfer, the windier afternoons around the 5th and 6th might look interesting—strong wind and lumpy surf—but for paddle surfing, this is a long, quiet stretch. Honestly, the best bet is to wait for a change in the pattern. It’s not unusual for this area to have blank runs like this, so don’t lose hope—forecasts can shift.

Rusty.

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