Dana Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into what’s cookin’ for Dana Point. We’re lookin’ at a patchy stretch ahead, so don’t expect a straight run of glory days. The first real surf shows up on Thursday, 23rd July, but it’s a bit of a slow burn.

The overall pattern is a long, drawn-out run of small, marginal swell with onshore or cross-onshore winds messing things up. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no need to dig out the extra rubber.

Thursday, 23rd July: The morning is the best we’ve got for a while, with a 4ft S swell (12 seconds) breaking at Dana Point. The wind is a light 6 mph onshore, which is a bit of a buzzkill, but it’s the most size we’ll see for a few days. The combined energy is moderate (718). It’s not a standout, but it’s the pick of a weak bunch.

Friday, 24th July: The morning sees a drop to 2ft from the SW, but check out the period – 24 seconds! That’s a very long-period groundswell, and the energy is moderate (970). The problem? It’s cross-on at 9 mph, so it’ll be bumpy. This long period is better suited to a point or reef, but we’re stuck with a beach-and-reef setup here. It’s a tease.

Saturday, 26th July through Tuesday, 29th July: A real quiet spell. Heights hover around 3ft to 4ft, but the winds are either onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy stays moderate (733 to 1050). The Sunday, 26th July, has a 16 mph cross-shore wind, making it a complete mess. This stretch is more about hope than action.

The Standout – Friday, 31st July: Now we’re talkin’. The morning shows a 5ft SSE swell (15 seconds) with a light 6 mph cross-onshore wind. The combined energy jumps to 1198 (strong). The afternoon even better, with a 5ft SSE swell, a 6 mph onshore wind, and a massive energy reading of 1607 (very strong). This is the best on offer. The swell direction from the SSE is a good match for the optimum WSW direction here, so waves should have some shape. It’s a Friday, and crowds are possible, but the quality should be worth the company.

Saturday, 1st August: The swell is bigger, hitting 6ft from the S (13 seconds) in the morning. That’s getting into the “too big for beginners” territory. The 6ft in the afternoon is similar, but with a 9 mph cross-onshore wind it’ll be lumpy. The energy is strong (1390 and 1161), but the wind and size make it one for experienced surfers only.

After that, it all fades fast. From Sunday, 2nd August, we’re back to tiny 2ft to 4ft junk with nothing but poor conditions right through to Thursday, 6th August. That’s a big gap of nearly a week with no real recommendations.

So, for the whole 16-day window, nail Friday, 31st July. That’s the one. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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