Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, plug in your boots and wax up. Rusty here, and I’ve got the drum on what’s coming for Californias. Let’s get straight into it.

The next week or so is mostly a quiet affair with tiny surf and average conditions, but don’t walk away yet – there’s a real pulse of swell brewing for the second weekend that’s going to get the heart rate up. We’re looking at a bit of a flat spell first, so patience is key here.

Right now, Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th just aren’t doing much. We’re seeing small 2 ft to 4 ft swells from the north, with a short period around 8 seconds. The wind is cross-offshore from the ESE at around 9 mph, which keeps things clean enough, but the wave energy is weak – only around 83 to 190 on the energy scale. Not worth rushing out for. The water temp is sitting at 83°F, which is about average for the time of year, so at least the rubber stays in the car.

Sunday the 13th through to mid-week next week is pretty much a write-off. The swell drops right away to just 1 ft, period stalls, and the wind picks up. By Sunday afternoon, we’ve got an offshore breeze straight from the ENE at 16 mph, but with those tiny waves, it’s all polish and no substance. The wave energy is pitiful – as low as 30 to 39. It’s classic poor surf conditions.

There’s a slight flicker of hope on the 15th and 16th, with some 2 ft waves and a modest bump in energy up to 130, but it’s still small and the wind is mostly cross-offshore. You might find something at a push, but I wouldn't cancel plans for it.

Then we hit a wall. From the 17th, we see a few days with poor surf, some offshore winds, but still just ankle-to-knee-high stuff. It’s frustrating, but you know how it goes – it never stays flat for long here.

And here’s the pay-off. The real standout hits on Saturday the 19th of September. That morning, we get a serious slug of swell – 8 ft from the east with a period of 18 seconds. That’s very long-period, groundswell energy, and the combined energy reading is a massive 3637 – strong and powerful. Wind is offshore from the NE at 16 mph, which will keep the waves clean and lined up. This is for experienced surfers only – 8 ft is beyond the beginner zone – but if you’ve got the skills, this is the best morning on offer. A point break or reef setup like Californias will handle this long-period energy beautifully. Just be aware, the crowds are likely, and for good reason.

That afternoon, it bumps up to 10 ft and the wind goes cross-offshore, so it’s still chunky but messier. It’s an experts-only window.

Sunday the 20th holds size at 8 ft in the morning, but the wind cranks up to 22-25 mph cross-offshore, and you can feel the chop building. Still some waves for the bold, but the quality drops.

Beyond that, it gets messy. Monday the 21st sees gale-force winds hitting 37-47 mph and a jumbled 13 ft swell – that’s blown-out chaos. Then Tuesday the 22nd is a total bust with severe gale cross-onshore winds at 53 mph. Not surfable.

The outlook recovers a little on Saturday the 26th of September when another solid 5 ft to 5 ft easterly swell shows up, with a lovely 16-second period and light offshore winds. That’s a nice clean option for skilled surfers to close out the 16-day stretch. Wave energy will be over 1000 again – solid moderate to strong.

So, to sum it up: don’t bother this week, save your energy. The clear standout is Saturday morning the 19th of September for the best combination of size, direction, and clean offshore conditions. The 26th is your backup.

Keep it salty.
Rusty.

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