Dana Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at the next couple of weeks for our local stretch.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you—this is a tough one. The swell is tiny and the wind is stubbornly cross-onshore for most of the run. We’re looking at a long, quiet stretch with very little to get excited about. For the first week, from Monday the 3rd of August right through to Sunday the 10th, it’s mostly poor surf conditions with heights barely scraping 2 ft to 3 ft. The combined swell energy is weak, sitting between 120 and 490 (moderate at best), but the wind is never clean—it’s either onshore or cross-onshore, which is going to mess up what little wave there is. A few afternoons around the 7th, 8th, and 10th of August show only marginal surf, but honestly, I wouldn’t paddle out for those.

The second week, from the 11th of August onward, doesn’t look much better. Swell heights stay stuck between 2 ft and 3 ft, with the same cross-onshore breeze. The energy picks up a bit on the 14th and 15th—into the 400s and 490s—but the wind is still onshore or cross-onshore, so the waves are going to be messy and choppy. There’s a long-period groundswell sneaking in on the 10th with a 20-second period, but it’s only 2 ft and the wind is cross-on, so it’s a tease more than anything.

Dana Point (beach and reef) – the only break on the menu. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, fairly consistent, but with crowds possible here. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild. The swell direction is mostly SSW to SW, which isn’t hitting the optimum WSW direction for this spot, so the waves won’t have much shape. The best of a bad bunch is probably the afternoon of the 10th of August, when we get a tiny 2 ft, 20-second period groundswell, but with light cross-onshore wind, it’s still marginal. Then on the 14th and 15th, the energy bumps up to 490–499, but the swell is only 2 ft to 3 ft with onshore or moderate cross-onshore wind—just choppy, poor surf.

Honestly, there’s no standout session here. The whole 16 days is a washout. If you’re desperate, the 10th of August afternoon might give you a few clean-ish lines if the wind backs off, but don’t hold your breath. For the rest, it’s a dry spell. Sometimes it’s just like this—forecasts can change, but right now, I’d hang up the wetsuit for a bit.

Rusty.

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