Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good hard look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s get into it.

The opener is a pretty quiet affair. We’ve got some swell on the way, but it’s nothing to write home about for a while. There’s a bit of north swell pushing in on Wednesday afternoon, but the wind is a stiff 16 mph cross-off, and the wave quality is just poor. The energy is moderate at best (259). Water temp is sitting around 83°, which is dead average for this time of year.

Thursday morning, September 10th, sees a slight improvement. The swell picks up a touch to 5 ft from the north with a 9-second period. The wind drops to a light 6 mph, still cross-off, and the energy bumps up to 351. It’s surfable but nothing special. The real issue is the lack of a clear standout.

Friday the 11th starts ordinary, with 4 ft from the north but a cross-off breeze that keeps things clean, but the conditions are just “very ordinary.” By the afternoon, a risk of thunderstorms moves in, and the swell drops off to 3 ft. The weekend is a complete no-go, Saturday has tiny 2 ft waves with poor conditions and low energy (77). Sunday through to the middle of the next week is similarly uninspiring, with tiny 1 ft to 3 ft swells and poor ratings. There’s a solid gap from Friday afternoon through to Monday afternoon where the surf is essentially flat.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Looking way out to September 20th, we’ve got a serious pulse of energy on the charts. Sunday morning sees a 8 ft east swell with a very long 16-second period. The energy is absolutely pumping (3427). This is a big, powerful groundswell. But here’s the catch: the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-off, which will be a bit lumpy. The period (16 seconds) means it’s best suited to a place like Californias (a reef setup) because long-period swells tend to stand up and handle the shape a lot better than a beach break. The crowd factor here is listed as “often,” so expect some company if you go. This is the true standout for the whole window, but remember, we’re talking 11 days out, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

The energy drops off quickly on the 21st, with heavy rain and severe gale-force winds (46-56 mph) making a mess of things. The rest of the week into the 24th is small and blown out. The only real surf to get stoked about is that Sunday the 20th, and even then, you’ll need to handle the wind.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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