Doheney Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Doheney Beach.

Right now, we’re looking at a pretty lackluster outlook for the next couple of weeks. The water is sitting at a balmy 74°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a real surprise if you’re used to the usual chill. The first bit of surf worth mentioning is on Friday the 28th of August, but it’s hardly a celebration. We’ve got a small 3ft to 2ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a solid 16-19 second period. That long period means the waves will have some real push to them, and with that very long period, it’s the kind of energy that might make the reef break at Doheney (California) stand up nicely, but the wind is a light cross-onshore which is just enough to ruffle the surface. The combined energy is moderate (510), but the conditions are marginal, so nobody’s getting too excited.

Honestly, the whole first week is a bit of a write-off. Saturday the 29th bumps up slightly to 3ft in the morning with a clean sky, but the wind is still cross-on. By the afternoon, the breeze picks up to 9 mph from the west, turning it cross-shore and the sets hit 4ft. Still, it’s only a combined energy of 894 (moderate) and the conditions are just okay. Through Sunday and into the following week, the swell stays small, mostly under 4ft, and the winds are never favorable enough to really clean it up. The period drops below 15 seconds by Monday, and the energy starts fading to as low as the 200s, so the drive just isn't there.

We’ve got a long stretch of nothing special here. A gap of several days where you'd be fighting for scraps. It’s not until Friday the 4th of September that things perk up a bit, and that’s the standout window. The morning is still a bit messy with onshore wind, but by Friday afternoon we get a WNW cross-offshore wind (9 mph) and clean conditions. The swell is 3ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is strong (857). The break is a reef, so that long-period groundswell will wedge up nicely with shape, and it’s exposed to that SSW direction that Doheney loves. The water is still warm and the wind is clean. This is the session to target if you want a chance at a decent wave—just know it’s a beginner-friendly break and can be crowded sometimes. It’s not for experts, but you can get some nice cruisy rides.

Following that, Sunday the 6th of September afternoon looks repeatable with a cleanup again from the WNW at 9 mph, same 3ft swell. Then Monday the 7th of September morning is another clean window with light cross-offshore wind—really tidy— but beware, the afternoon turns ugly as a strong NNW wind hits 16 mph, making it dangerous.

After that, the second week drifts back into limp small waves and shifting crosswinds. The period starts to fatten up and the energy dips into the 200s and 400s, just not worth the paddle for most. All in all, if you’ve only got time for one session, make it the afternoon of Friday the 4th or maybe morning of Monday the 7th of September. Everything else is a flat spell you can sleep through.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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