Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

First up, it’s a bit of a slow burn for the next week and a half. We’ve got surf on offer, but it’s on the smaller side, and a lot of it is pretty junky with cross-onshore breezes messing with the lineup. The first real standout doesn't show its face until Thursday, September 3rd. Before that, it’s all about picking the lesser of the evils and getting wet on a shortboard. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about, just your typical late-summer water.

The energy in the water is moderate, with combined swell energy values mostly in the 400 to 700 range for the first week. It’s not dead, but it’s not firing either. Most of this is short-period windswell mixed with a touch of longer period groundswell, but the size just isn’t there.

Here’s the rundown.

Thursday, August 27th through Wednesday, September 2nd: Doheney Beach (California) is your only show in town, but it’s a marginal one. Expect waves in the 2ft to 4ft range with light, mostly cross or cross-on winds. The swell direction is consistently from the S or SSW. There's one brief window on Tuesday afternoon, September 1st, when the wind goes totally glassy and the waves clean up a bit to 4ft, but it’s still not big. It’s a lot of paddling for not a whole lot of push. You might get a fun one if you’re a beginner, but most sessions will be a frustrating grovel. The whole run is marred by a “marginal surf forecast” label. The highlight, if you can call it that, is the glassy conditions on Tuesday afternoon. The swell is weak to moderate, with a combined energy of 451 in that afternoon.

Thursday, September 3rd - The First Real Pulse: Finally, things wake up. The swell builds during the day. Thursday morning sees it bump to 5ft, but it’s still a bit lumpy with a cross-on wind. The real turn comes Thursday afternoon. The swell jumps to a solid 7ft from the SSW at a 12-second period, and the wind swings around to a light cross-offshore. The combined energy jumps to 1722, which tells you there’s some real power in the water. This is the day for the experienced crew. 7ft is overhead and has some grunt, so leave the foamies at home. It’s going to be challenging but clean. This is your standout moment for the whole forecast. This is the one.

Friday, September 4th through Monday, September 7th: The swell backs down a bit after Thursday’s pulse. We’re looking at 4ft to 4ft for most of this stretch. The winds stay light and mostly cross-shore. It’s more of the same, a bit junky but surfable. The saving grace comes on Monday, September 7th, when a light offshore N wind kicks in. It's not big, only around 3ft, but the conditions will be clean. The wave comment says "expect good surf conditions" so it could be a fun, clean morning on the longboard. The combined energy is 488, so it's not powerful, but the quality should be there.

Tuesday, September 8th and Wednesday, September 9th: The swell drops out. We're down to 2ft to 3ft. The period gets long, 17-19 seconds, but there’s just no size. It’s going to be tiny and weak. The combined energy drops to the 365-533 range, which is weak. Wednesday morning has a cross-offshore wind which will make it beckon, but honestly, it’s a lake. Not worth the effort unless you’re desperate for a glide.

Thursday, September 10th and Friday, September 11th: The last couple of days in the window. Still small. Around 3ft, with light winds. More of the same small, mushy conditions. The energy is weak, in the 300-500 range.

The Verdict: If you’ve got some experience under your belt, circle Thursday, September 3rd afternoon on the calendar. That 7ft SSW swell with light cross-offshore wind at Doheney will be the best wave of the 16-day window. It’s the only time the size and conditions align. Everything before that is small and scrappy. Everything after that fades out. Keep your expectations low for the rest of the time, and you won’t be disappointed. It’s a typical end-of-summer pattern, but that one afternoon makes it all worth it.

Rusty.

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