Crouching Lion Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are going to be a frustrating stretch for surfers around here. There’s nothing on the table that’s worth paddling out for, and we’re looking at a long, ugly run of poor surf conditions.

The first spot we have to look at is Crouching Lion, and honestly, even its best case over the next 16 days isn't a story of good waves. The water's warm at 80°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. But that’s where the good news ends.

We start off on Monday, August 17th. The swell is there at 6ft, but it’s coming from the ENE with a short, weak period of 8 seconds, and the wind is howling onshore at 15 mph. The energy is weak at 347, and the surface is a mess. This pattern holds for days. Through Tuesday and Wednesday, the swell drops, the wind stays cross-onshore, and it’s all just choppy, poor-quality slop. The combined energy stays weak, dipping down to 114 by Thursday morning.

Friday, August 21st, brings a bit of a reprieve in wind, dropping to a light 6 mph, but the swell is tiny, only 3ft to 3ft with a period of 7 seconds. Even with lighter wind, the energy is feeble, 86 to 99. It's just not enough to do anything with. It's almost a flat spell.

Then we get a bit more size for the weekend, but it’s poor quality. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd see swell bumping up to 5ft to 6ft, but the period is only 6 to 7 seconds and the wind is back up to 12-15 mph. The energy climbs from 195 to 265, but it’s all mush and chop. This is not surfable.

The middle of next week is just more of the same. Monday the 24th sees a jump to 7ft, but it's still an onshore ENE wind and that short period. By Tuesday the 25th, we're looking at 8ft to 8ft swell, but with a fresh 19-22 mph onshore wind, it's just a washing machine. The energy is getting strong, up to 865 by Tuesday afternoon, but it's all wind and no shape. This setup is honestly looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The big stuff hits late in the week. By Wednesday, August 26th, we're at 10ft of onshore slop, with storm clouds and a 19 mph cross-onshore wind. The energy jumps to a strong 1156-1196. It’s big, it’s powerful, and it’s completely unsurfable for anyone. By Thursday the 27th, the swell peaks at 12ft from the E with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is very strong, hitting 1719. For context, a swell over 8ft is expert territory, and that’s only if the conditions are clean. With this onshore wind, it's just a dangerous, blown-out mess.

As we ease into the start of September, the swell eases back down from 10ft on the 28th, to 8ft on the 29th, and 6ft by the 30th. But the wind stays fresh and onshore, and the period only gets up to 9, maybe 10 seconds. It's still all cross-onshore chop. The energy stays moderate to strong, but the quality is just not there.

The long-range into September 1st sees the swell at a solid 7ft, with a slightly better 10-second period, but that ENE wind is still 22 mph. It’s promising in size, but as you know, it’s all about the wind. We’ll have to wait and see. The whole 16-day window is a blank. There are no good surf options coming our way. This is one of those stretches where it just doesn’t look like it’s going to turn on for a while. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d save your energy.

Stay patient, and don’t force it. This one isn’t worth it.

Rusty.

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