Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe.

Right, I'll be straight with you – the next week and a half is looking pretty grim. There are some pulses of energy, but the conditions are often messy and the quality just isn't there for a proper session. We've got a long, quiet gap right at the start, then a few days of marginal, ordinary surf, before a bit of a pulse shows up. But even that one comes with a lot of wind.

The main spot we're looking at is Californias, a reef break that's fairly consistent with an offshore wind from the ENE. The water's warm, sitting at 84° with an anomaly of just 1°, so it's pretty average for this time of year.

We kick off on Monday the 14th with tiny 2ft easterly swell at 9 seconds, but the energy is weak (94) and the conditions are ordinary. Tuesday the 15th is much the same – 2ft, easterly, clean with a light offshore breeze, but it's just not doing much. The energy picks up a little to a moderate 131, but it's still just surfable, not exciting. This pattern holds through Wednesday the 16th: small, clean, but uninspiring with moderate energy readings around 155. Thursday the 17th drops right off, with poor surf on 1.0ft to 2ft swell and weak energy.

Honestly, the first stand-out in the whole run is on Saturday the 19th. By the afternoon, we start seeing a real change. The swell jumps to 4ft from the east with a very long 15-second period, and the combined energy spikes to a strong 648. The wind is cross-offshore from the NNE at 12 mph, keeping the surface clean. It's still going to be lumpy, and with that long period at a beach setup, it might be a little straighter and more closed-out than you'd want. Still, it's the first sign of life.

The real standout, the only one worth pointing the car at, is Sunday the 20th. We've got a solid 6ft to 7ft easterly groundswell, with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is through the roof at 1772 and then 2297 – that’s very strong. The wind holds clean, cross-offshore from the north at 19 mph. This is a big, powerful swell. At that size, it's solidly in the advanced zone, not for the faint of heart. It’s the best on offer.

After that, it’s a mess. Monday the 21st still has size (6ft, easterly, 14 seconds, very strong energy around 1700), but the wind swings to a fresh cross-shore from the NNW at 19-22 mph, creating lumpy cross-chop. That’s a kitesurfing setup, not a paddle-surfing one. Tuesday the 22nd is similar but with shorter period (10 seconds) and still cross-shore winds.

From Wednesday the 23rd onwards, the swell drops and the size comes down. We get back into the ordinary, low-energy range. Thursday the 24th has some 4ft swell but short period, and it’s just ordinary. The last bit of the run from the 25th to the 29th is mostly poor with weak energy and very small waves, often under 3ft.

So, to wrap it up: if you're keen, session Sunday the 20th at Californias. That’s your window. It's a powerful, clean groundswell. The rest is a write-off.

- Rusty

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