Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Yo, what’s up crew? It’s Rusty here, checking in with the outlook for the next couple of weeks. Let’s start with the big picture: the surf is slim pickings for a good long stretch. We’re looking at a whole lot of small, weak swell and average to poor conditions, especially for the first week. Hang tight, because there’s a glimmer of something better way down the line.

Alright, let’s get into it. The only spot on the radar is Doheney Beach. This is a reef break, beginner-friendly, and it’s fairly consistent, but the crowds are often here, so don’t expect a quiet paddle out.

We kick off on Thursday, August 20th. The morning is a bit of a write-off. There’s a tiny 3 ft swell from the south-southwest, with a period of 14 seconds, and it’s blowing onshore. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 71 °F. The combined energy is weak (334). The afternoon is even worse, with poor surf conditions. This is a rough start.

Friday, August 21st through Sunday, August 23rd is a real bummer. The swell drops to 2 ft and then 2 ft, with periods around 13 seconds. The wind is all over the place – cross-on, cross, cross-off – but the waves are tiny and weak. The combined energy sinks to as low as 141. The water temp anomaly isn’t recorded, but it’s just not happening. Don’t bother.

There’s a tiny glimmer on Saturday afternoon, August 22nd when a 2 ft, 15-second period swell from the SSW shows up with a clean, cross-offshore breeze. The energy is still moderate (243), but it’s the first decent-looking window. The swell is small, though, so it’s a longboard or a funboard wave.

From Monday, August 24th to Thursday, August 28th, we see a slow build. The swell picks up to 4 ft to 5 ft by the 26th and 27th, with periods around 13 seconds. The combined energy starts to climb, hitting 856 on the 26th afternoon – that’s moderate wave energy. The wind is cross or light onshore, and the conditions are described as “marginal” or “poor.” It’s not clean, so it’s going to be a bumpy, choppy mess. The best of this patch is probably Wednesday morning, August 26th with a 4 ft S swell and light onshore wind, but it’s still a struggle.

Friday, August 29th and Saturday, August 30th offer a bit more size, with 3 ft to 4 ft swells from the SSW, periods around 15-16 seconds. The wind is light cross-on, and the energy is strong (765 on the 29th afternoon). This is juicy for a reef break, but that cross-on wind will put a bit of a texture on the face. It’s a stand-out relative to the week before, but it’s not a perfect day.

Then we hit a dead zone. Sunday, August 31st and Monday, September 1st are back to small, poor surf.

Now, here’s the real standout. Look ahead to Wednesday, September 2nd. The morning and afternoon both have a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the WNW at 9 mph. The swell is small, only 2 ft and 1 ft, but it’s from the SW with a period of 16 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell that should wrap in nicely to this reef. The combined energy is moderate (304/234). The conditions are described as “clean” and “expect good surf conditions.” This is the best bet in the entire 16-day window. It’s a week and a half away, so it’s a bit of a long-range promise, but the signs are good. The water feels a touch warmer than normal.

Thursday, September 3rd and Friday, September 4th bring a bit more size (4 ft and 3 ft) but with onshore or cross-on wind, so it’s messy again.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a wash. The second week has a few days with more size but dirty wind. The one true highlight is Wednesday, September 2nd at Doheney Beach, when the stars align for a clean, small but long-period groundswell. That’s your window.

Rusty.

Read more