Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

First off, we’re looking at Californias, a reef break that’s fairly consistent and handles a north swell best. The water temp is sitting at about 84°F, which is pretty much dead average for this time of year – nothing to write home about, just your typical warm tropical bath.

The next 16 days are a real mixed bag. The first week is a bit of a struggle. We kick off Wednesday the 9th with some small, weak swell, around 5 ft from the north, but a stiff 16 mph cross-offshore wind is making it messy. The combined energy is weak at 279, and honestly, it’s just not worth getting wet for. Thursday the 10th looks a little better – the swell stays around 5 ft to 5 ft from the north, period bumps up to 9-10 seconds, and the wind drops to a light 6-9 mph cross-off. The energy climbs to a moderate 480 by the afternoon, and it’s surfable, but it’s not going to blow your mind.

Then Friday the 11th through the middle of the following week is a real flat spell. We’re talking tiny waves, mostly under 3 ft, with a lot of days showing poor conditions. The wind flips around a bit, and there’s a few glassy moments on Tuesday the 15th morning with 2 ft and calm winds, but the energy is weak at 92. It’s a long stretch of nothing special.

Now, hold onto your board, because things go absolutely nuts on Wednesday the 23rd of September. A massive pulse of swell arrives – we’re talking 13 ft from the north-northeast, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy skyrockets to 2323 in the morning and then a massive 5313 in the afternoon. That’s serious, heavy, powerful wave energy. The wind is a clean offshore from the ENE at 12-16 mph, so it’ll be groomed, but this is for experts only. Anything over 8 ft is big, and at 13 ft, this is a serious, heavy reef break. Beginners, stay well clear. The short period (9 seconds) means it’ll be a bit lumpy and steep, but on a reef, it should still offer some solid barrels.

The standout session? Without a doubt, the morning of Wednesday the 23rd is the pick. The swell is still massive at 13 ft, the energy is very strong, and the offshore wind is manageable. It’s going to be a proper, heavy day. The following Thursday the 24th is still huge, with 12 ft and a 25 mph offshore gale – that’s so strong it’s going to be hard to even paddle into the waves. That’s more for the kamikaze crew.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is pretty dismal, with a long gap of flat, weak surf from the 11th to the 22nd. The real deal – the only true standout – is that massive swell hitting around the 23rd and 24th. It’s a promise of some serious, heavy waves for the experienced locals, but don’t get your hopes up for anything in the near future.

Rusty.

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