Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what we’ve got on the cards for Californias.

Right now, things are looking pretty grim. There’s nothing worth paddling out for today or tomorrow morning, but hang tight – there is a window of decent surf coming up, starting Wednesday the 2nd.

Wednesday the 2nd is your first real chance. We’ve got a clean 4.6ft swell out of the East, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is blowing offshore from the ENE, which will keep the surface glassy. The combined swell energy is moderate at 336, and the conditions are set to be good. This is a solid pick for a Wednesday session – not huge, but clean and fun for intermediate surfers.

Thursday the 3rd turns nasty. A risk of thunderstorms and strong NW winds mess things up. The swell picks up a bit but it’s cross-off and then cross-on, making for poor surf. Skip it.

Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are a write-off. Onshore winds, lumpy, choppy conditions. By Saturday afternoon though, there’s a glimmer with a 5.6ft N swell and offshore cross-off wind, but it’s still only marginal.

Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are dominated by strong NNW and NW winds, creating poor, cross-shore chop. The swell period drops, and the combined energy stays moderate but messy. Not worth it.

Tuesday the 8th is small and wind-affected. Forget it.

Now, here comes a standout. Wednesday the 9th sees a decent 6.9ft to 7.2ft N swell roll in, but the cross-shore wind from the NNW keeps it from being clean. The combined energy is strong (918 to 1049), but the wind kills it for surfing. Not recommended.

Thursday the 10th morning: the wind shifts to cross-off from the N, and we get a clean 7.9ft swell from the NNW. This is for advanced surfers only – it's over 8ft in the afternoon. The break is a reef, so the long-period (8 sec) energy will produce punchy waves. Crowds are often here, so expect company. This is your best bet in the first week, but it’s big.

Then we get a nice run. Friday the 11th morning: offshore ENE wind, clean, 5.9ft NNW swell with a 9-second period. The combined energy is moderate (576). This is a winner – smaller than Thursday, but glassy and well-shaped. Afternoon stays clean with gentle offshore NE breeze.

Saturday the 12th is mixed. Morning has a small 3.6ft N swell, afternoon sees a big spike to 7.5ft from the E with strong energy (1315), but there’s a risk of thunderstorms and cross-off wind. Marginal.

Sunday the 13th morning is the real standout of the whole outlook. Offshore ENE wind, 5.6ft E swell, 10-second period, and the wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” The combined energy is moderate (681). The wind is light, the waves will be clean and lined up. This is the day to mark on your calendar. Crowds are possible, but with this quality, it’ll be worth it.

After that, the surf fades. Monday the 14th is poor, with onshore NW winds and small swell. Tuesday the 15th afternoon sees a 5.9ft E swell with a very long 14-second period, but the wind is cross-off and the conditions are only marginal. Long-period swells like that can be tricky on a reef – they’ll hold up better for point breaks, but here it might be a bit too straight. Still, if you’re an expert, it could be fun.

Wednesday the 16th is clean but small, and by Thursday the 17th, the cross-shore wind returns and the quality drops.

Overall, the best on offer is Sunday the 13th morning – clean, offshore, and a solid 5.6ft E swell. Second best is Friday the 11th morning. Thursday the 10th is big and clean, but for experts only.

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