Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this isn’t a classic run for Californias (reef). There’s a big old gap of nothing good at the start, and the whole period is a bit of a mixed bag. But if you’re patient, there are a couple of sessions that might just make it worth hanging in there.

The first few days are a write-off. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are delivering tiny, weak waves with a combined energy of just 33 to 145 – not enough to get excited about. The wind is there, but the swell just isn’t. Then we hit Monday the 31st, and things get weird. We’ve got a solid 8ft swell from the East, with a combined energy of 1098, so there’s plenty of water moving. The wind is a strong offshore from the ENE, which would normally have me stoked, but that’s a hell of a lot of power for a reef break. That’s expert-only territory. For most of us, it’s just too much.

The whole first week into the second is plagued by stormy conditions and cross-onshore winds. Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th of September look particularly nasty, with gale-force winds and big, messy swell. You wouldn’t want to be out there. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Now, let’s talk about the bright spots. After that rough patch, things start to settle. The first real standout is Sunday the 6th of September. The morning brings a clean 4ft from the East with a gentle offshore breeze. The energy is a moderate 211. Then the afternoon gets even better: 5ft from the East, still offshore from the NE, with a combined energy of 304. The wind is a moderate offshore, keeping it clean. That’s the pick of the first week – a solid, fun-sized wave with good shape for the reef.

The second standout is a bit further out, so keep an eye on the forecast, but it looks promising. On Saturday the 12th of September, we’ve got a 3ft swell from the East, but the period stretches out to a very long 13 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, with a combined energy of 378. The wind is a gentle offshore from the ENE, glassing it up nicely. For a reef break, that long period will mean proper, lined-up walls. It’s a bit of a wait, and long-range calls are less certain, but if it comes together, that morning session could be a beauty.

Overall, don’t bother with the first week unless you’re an expert chasing that big Monday the 31st swell. The real action is on the 6th of September and, fingers crossed, the 12th. That’s your window.

Rusty.

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