Californias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Californias over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burn, so don’t go rushing down there just yet.

The first real sniff of decent surf doesn’t show up until Saturday the 19th, so we’ve got a solid week of tiny, weak waves to get through. The early part of the week from the 12th to the 15th is pretty flat, with ankle-biters around 1 ft to 2 ft coming from the east. The wind is offshore or cross-off which will keep the surface clean, but there’s just not enough push to get excited about. The combined energy is weak, sitting in the double digits for most of that time, so it’s really just a paddle-around sort of deal.

Monday the 14th sees a small uptick in energy in the afternoon, hitting moderate levels (108), but it’s still tiny and ordinary. Tuesday the 15th is much the same: clean, light winds, but the swell is barely there. For a spot that’s fairly exposed to the north, we need a lot more to light it up.

The standout window arrives on Saturday the 19th. We’ve got a groundswell showing up from the east with a long period of 18 seconds. The combined energy jumps massively to 1597, which is strong. Saturday morning brings clean 5 ft waves, and the afternoon bumps up to 8 ft. The wind is cross-off from the NNE, so the face should be pretty tidy. This is definitely the pick of the forecast, but with that size and a long period, it’s going to be more for the experienced crew. Beginners might find it a handful. The swell direction and period mean you’ll want to be on the take-off early. Crowds are often here, so expect company.

From Sunday the 20th onward, it goes a bit wild. Strong north winds kick in, gusting up to 37 mph, and we get a big, messy swell from the north on Monday the 21st, hitting 13 ft with a combined energy of over 8000. That’s not really surfable for a paddle board; it’s more of a kite show if the direction was right, but the cross-onshore wind will chop it up badly. That huge bump from the north blows out by Tuesday, leaving us with lumpy, blown-out leftovers.

The tail end of the forecast on Friday the 25th looks interesting again. We get a clean, offshore easterly and a 4 ft swell from the east with another very long period of 15 seconds. This could be a really good, clean session with moderate offshore wind. The combined energy is solid at 951, so there’s a good push. Saturday the 26th keeps that trend going with similar-sized, clean waves.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a waste of time for anything decent. The real action kicks off Saturday the 19th for the advanced crew, then there’s a messy few days in the middle, and a clean, promising end to the run on the 25th. Don’t hold your breath for the first half.

Stay stoked,
Rusty.

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