Corona Del Mar Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days in the Corona Del Mar Jetty (California) zone are a tough watch. The water is sitting at a toasty 73°F – that’s a full 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year, which is really unusual. You’d be sweating in a spring suit, but the waves? Barely a whisper.

The pattern is a long, drawn-out flat spell. From Saturday the 1st right through to the end of the first week, it’s all small, weak swells with poor surf conditions. The combined wave energy is mostly in the weak to moderate range, hitting around 261 on Saturday morning, but dropping to barely 81 by Monday morning. We’re looking at knee-high slop at best, around 1ft to 3ft from the SSW or SW. The morning winds are light and onshore, but it’s just not enough to make anything of it. It’s a real bummer.

There’s literally a solid week and a half of this. From the 1st of August through to the 10th, the scores are all zero – poor surf. The light breeze keeps the surface cleanish, but the swell is so anemic it’s a total non-event. You’re better off doing something else.

We do see a tiny flicker of hope around the 16th. On Sunday morning the 16th, the forecast nudges up to “marginal” with a 2ft, 16-second period swell from the SW, and the combined energy hits 297. The wind is light and cross-shore, which is the best we’ll see for a clean surface. But even then, it’s thin. The period is long enough to have some push, but at this size, it’s going to be a gutless waist-high wave at best, and inconsistent. The afternoon turns to a moderate cross-shore chop, so the window is tight.

Honestly, the only thing that stands out as a slight possibility is that Sunday morning session on the 16th. It’s not a standout, it’s just the least-bad option. The swell direction is SSW, which is the optimum for the jetty, and the 16-second period means the sets will have some shape. But don’t expect much. The crowd profile is "often" there, and with this little juice, it’ll feel crowded for a few slow, weak waves.

We do get a pulse of stronger energy – 547 on the 14th – but the wind is onshore and the surf condition is still rated poor. It’s a frustrating tease. The swell is coming from the right direction, but the conditions just won’t line up.

For the rest of the run, from the 11th to the 15th, it’s the same story: small, weak, and poor. The wind shifts a bit, but nothing changes the fact that the surf is flat. If you’re a kite surfer, this light, cross-shore wind might be something to look at, but for paddle surfing, it’s a desert.

So, to wrap it up: the best (and really, only) option is the morning of Sunday the 16th. It’s promising but not certain this far out. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath. The rest of the window is a write-off.

Rusty.

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