Dana Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with ya—this stretch is a tough one. We’re looking at a long, flat run with nothing but small, weak, and messy conditions for days. The water temp is sitting at 75°, which is a whopping 7° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s very unusual, feels like bathwater out there.

For the first week, from Wednesday the 12th right through to Tuesday the 25th of August, the surf is either poor or just marginal. The combined energy from the swells is mostly weak to moderate, with values ranging from 171 to 679. The swell heights are tiny, bouncing between 1ft and 4ft, coming mostly from the SSW or SW. The periods are solid enough, between 13 and 18 seconds, so there’s some long-period groundswell in the mix, but with these small heights and mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds, it’s just not coming together. You’ll be battling wind ripples and chop more than riding waves. For a beach and reef setup like Dana Point, this is honestly looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing through most of this.

The best bet, and I mean the only real standout in this whole outlook, falls on Wednesday the 26th of August. We get a little bump in the swell. The morning shows 3ft from the SW with a period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy hits 507 – solid moderate energy. Winds are light and onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, which will keep things clean enough. By the afternoon, the swell nudges up to 3ft from the SW, period still 16 seconds, energy climbs to 556. Winds stay light, though they switch to a cross-onshore. It’s still only marginal, but it’s the best we’ve got. The optimum swell direction for this spot is WSW, and we’re close to that with SW, so the wave shape should be alright for a beginner spot. Crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few others with the same idea, but it won’t be a zoo.

After that, Thursday the 27th starts off with a similar 4ft swell, but the wind picks up from the SSE at 16 mph by afternoon, turning it into a choppy mess again.

So, to wrap it up: the first 13 days or so are a write-off for decent paddle surfing. Don’t bother until Wednesday the 26th of August – that’s your one window. It’s not going to be epic, but you’ll get a few cleanish little runners on the long-period groundswell. After that, the winds ruin it again. Forecasts can always change, but as it stands, patience is the name of the game.

Rusty.

Read more