Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for Doheney Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Overall, it’s a slow start and a pretty patchy run. We’ve got a lot of small, onshore days to deal with before anything worth paddling out for shows up. The first real surf we see is Thursday morning, but it’s a frustrating one. The swell is a 16-second, long-period SSW groundswell pushing in at 3 ft, with a combined energy of 634 (moderate). The problem is that it’s blowing onshore from the SSW at 9 mph, so it’s bumpy and messy. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

Thursday afternoon stays similar, with the swell dropping a touch in energy (573) and the wind swinging to a light S onshore at 6 mph. Still not clean. Friday and Saturday are a write-off, with the wind staying onshore all day and the swell dropping to 3 ft. The wave comment says it’s poor, and I’m not arguing.

Sunday afternoon on the 12th of July is where we finally get a window. The wind goes glassy out of the WSW at 3 mph, and the swell is a clean 3 ft from the SSW with a 14-second period. The combined energy is 403 (moderate), and the wave comment says "expect good surf conditions." For a spot like Doheney, this is the pick of the first week. It’s small, but it’ll be clean and fun for a beginner-friendly log. Expect crowds though, as it’s often busy here.

Monday and Tuesday drop off again. The surf goes small and the wind goes cross-onshore, ruining the shape. Tuesday afternoon (14th July) does have a weird little spike: a 1 ft, 18-second SW groundswell with glassy offshore wind, but the energy is only 240 (weak). It’s a novelty wave for the patient, but hardly worth a paddle.

Then we hit the weekend of the 18th and 19th of July. This is the real standout. Saturday morning, the 18th, a new SSE swell arrives at 5 ft, 16-second period, with a combined energy of 1770 (strong). The wind is cross-shore from the WSW at 6 mph, so it’s not perfect, but the energy is there. By Saturday afternoon, the swell jumps to 6 ft, energy up to 2967 (very strong). This is a solid, powerful swell. For Doheney Beach, a reef break exposed to the SSW, this SSE direction isn’t the optimum, but it’s still going to produce some hefty waves. At 6 ft, it’s getting into expert territory, so leave the beginners on the sand. Sunday the 19th keeps the swell going at 7 ft from the S at 13 seconds, but the wind is cross-onshore, making it a bit of a battle. Still, the energy (1418) is strong.

After that, the swell fades fast. Monday the 20th through the 22nd of July drops back to 2 ft–3 ft with onshore winds. It’s a dead period. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th show a little bump in energy (up to 1273) with a 4 ft SSW swell, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s a long-range possibility that could clean up, but don’t hold your breath.

Best on offer: The standout is Sunday afternoon, 12th July, for the clean, glassy small waves. But the real power comes on the weekend of the 18th–19th July, with the biggest swell of the window. That Saturday afternoon (18th) is the true highlight for experienced surfers, despite the cross-shore wind.

Rusty.

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