Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

Well, folks, it’s a bit of a mixed bag for Californias over this 16-day stretch. The first week is mostly a write-off with tiny, weak swells and poor conditions, but there’s some proper action brewing if you’re willing to wait. The standout window is shaping up for the second week, especially Sunday, September 6th, which is about as good as it gets here for a while.

Let’s start with what we’ve got right now. The next few days are flat out grim. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th of August offer barely a ripple, with weak swells around 0.7 ft to 2 ft and short periods. The water temp is sitting at 83°, which is about normal for this time of year. Nothing to get wet for.

Monday the 31st of August sees a spike in size, with a 7 ft easterly swell pushing in by morning, building to 8 ft in the afternoon. The combined energy jumps up to moderate (613 and 921), and we get offshore wind. But there’s a catch – it comes with risk of thunderstorms and the quality is only marginal. That 8 ft is getting into expert territory, and with those fresh to strong offshore winds, it’ll be clean but a real battle to paddle into.

Tuesday the 1st of September drops right off again, barely a bump.

Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September see a return of some easterly swell, around 5 ft to 6 ft, moderate energy (592 and 583), but the wind is cross-off and the conditions are rated as poor. Not worth the drive.

Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September is small, around 3 ft to 3 ft, with gentle breezes. The energy is light (182 to 279). Surfable but nothing special.

Now, here’s where we get to the real highlight. Sunday, September 6th is your best bet. The morning sees a clean 7 ft swell from the east, with a moderate combined energy of 627, and light offshore wind from the ENE at just 6 mph. That’s glassy conditions and clean surf. The afternoon drops to 5 ft but stays offshore from the NE, still clean. This is the standout – get on it.

The start of the next week is more of the same. Monday the 7th to Tuesday the 8th of September has decent 6 ft to 7 ft easterly swells, with moderate to strong energy (541 to 969), but the winds are moderate to fresh and conditions are called marginal. Not bad, but not as good as that Sunday.

Wednesday the 9th of September drops back to 5 ft, clean but unremarkable.

Thursday the 10th of September brings a tricky one – a 6 ft swell from the ENE with a very long period of 13 seconds and strong energy at 1035. That’s a proper groundswell, but that long period means it might close out and be straight on the beach. Expert only, and the strong offshore wind will make paddling tough.

Friday the 11th of September has a big 10 ft swell from the ENE, but with a short 8-second period and near gale-force winds. That’s too big and too messy for anything but a kite surfer. Stay clear.

The run continues with small stuff and strong winds through the weekend, but then Sunday, September 13th rolls around. The afternoon sees a solid 8 ft swell from the west with a period of 12 seconds, pumping out very strong energy at 1644. The wind is lighter at 12 mph, but it’s cross-off. This is a big, powerful swell – expert territory, but if you’ve got the nerve, it’ll be memorable. That morning also has a similar 8 ft west swell with 1441 energy. This is a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

All in all, the forecast is a long, slow burn. The first week is a write-off, then we get a beautiful clean window on September 6th with that offshore glass. After that, a few more lumpy but surfable days, and a very strong, big west swell late in the run that could be incredible for the experienced crew.

Get out there for that Sunday the 6th if you can – it’s the one.

Rusty.

Read more