Dana Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Dana Point over the next couple of weeks.

It’s a pretty slow start, with a few days of nothing really worth paddling out for. The water is sitting at a very warm 77°, which is a solid 9° above the long-term average for this time of year – that’s very unusual, so you’ll be sweating in your wetsuit, or just going without.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on the morning of Sunday, the 6th of September. The swell will be a solid 7 ft from the S, with a period of 14 seconds, pumping a strong wave energy (1642). That’s a decent groundswell. The kicker here is the wind – a light off-shore breeze from the ENE at just 3 mph. That’ll clean the place right up. This is the standout window for experienced surfers, as anything over 8 ft gets properly heavy, but this is right in the sweet spot for those who know what they’re doing. The conditions are described as excellent, so that’s where you want to be. The rest of that Sunday afternoon goes a bit wonky with a cross-onshore, but the morning is the pick.

The week after that fades out pretty quickly. Swell drops back under 7 ft, and the wind turns mostly cross-onshore or onshore, making for choppy, poor surf. There’s a window on Thursday morning, the 10th of September, with a 3 ft swell from the SSW and a long 17-second period, but the onshore wind and a marginal score means it’s not really worth a dedicated session. The energy is moderate (596), but it’s not clean.

Heading into the second week, from the 12th of September onwards, it’s a real struggle. Swell heights drop to 2 ft to 2 ft, and even though the periods get long again, the wind is all over the place – mostly cross-on or onshore. The energy drops into the low hundreds and two hundreds, which is weak. There’s a tiny spike on the 17th of September (Thursday afternoon) with a 3 ft SW swell and a 21-second period, giving a moderate energy (703), but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, so it’ll be choppy and poor. It’s a long wait for very little.

So, the honest truth is, if you’re a beginner, the 7 ft swell on the 6th is too big. For everyone else, that Sunday morning is your only real chance for a quality session in the next 16 days.

Rusty.

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