Dana Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

How’s it goin’, Rusty here. Let’s look at what Dana Point has cookin’ over the next 16 days. There’s swell in the water pretty much the whole time, but quality is mostly a bust. Right now the water’s 73°, and that’s a full 6° warmer than usual for late August – feels like bathwater.

Thursday morning, 27 August, a 4ft S swell with a 12-second period rolls in, combined energy 661 (moderate). Wind is a light cross-on from the SSW at 6 mph. It’s not clean, and the surf is marginal – don’t get too excited. Thursday afternoon the wind drops to 3 mph onshore, swell drops to 4ft, still marginal.

Friday 28th: 3ft swell from the SSW, long 16-second period, energy 484. Wind light cross-on. Tiny and weak. Saturday 29th morning is 3ft at 17 seconds, cross-on, still marginal. Saturday afternoon the wind picks up to 9 mph cross-on from the W and the surf turns poor – skip it.

Sunday 30th through Monday 31st stays in that marginal zone with 3–4ft swells and light breezes. Nothing worth a paddle.

Now Tuesday morning, 1 September – this is your window. Glassy offshore wind from the SW at just 3 mph, swell 3ft from the S at 11 seconds, combined energy 315 (weak to moderate). The report says “expect good surf conditions.” For Dana Point, that’s a gem. Crowds can show up here sometimes, but if you get in early you’ll have a clean, fun session. Best of the whole 16 days.

Tuesday afternoon goes poor again with 9 mph onshore wind. Wednesday 2 September morning is 4ft S swell at 12 seconds, light onshore, marginal. Wednesday afternoon the wind cranks to 12 mph cross-on from the WNW – choppy and poor.

Thursday 3 September morning: 5ft SSW swell at 13 seconds, energy 936 (moderate-strong). Wind light onshore. That’s over 5ft so it’s for experts only. Still marginal because the wind isn’t on your side.

From 4 September onward through 11 September, it’s a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. Swells range from 2ft to 4ft, mostly SSW, with long 14–18 second periods. Wind is generally light cross-on or onshore. Saturday 5 September has a moderate cross-shore wind at 12 mph – that’s more of a kiteboarding setup than a surf session. Energy numbers sit in the 400–700 range, moderate but not inspiring.

Tuesday 8 September the swell drops to 2ft with very long 18-second periods – tiny and straight, not doing much at Dana Point. The rest of the second week is all poor or marginal calls. No standout days after that Tuesday morning.

Best move: hit it Tuesday morning, 1 September, for the clean glassy conditions.

Rusty.

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