Domes (Rincon) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and let’s talk about what’s ahead.

The next 16 days are looking pretty grim, to be honest. We’ve got a long stretch of small, jumbled waves and mostly onshore or cross-shore winds. It’s the kind of forecast that makes you want to check your wax stash and maybe think about a different hobby for a while. There’s a bit of a pulse of energy mid-month, but it’s wrapped up in messy conditions. Don’t get too excited.

We kick things off this Sunday, August 9th, and it’s a real dud. The morning is small – barely a ripple – and that ENE cross-off breeze is making things awkward. The afternoon brings a bit more height, pushing up to around 7 ft, but it’s short-period windswell and the wind is howling at 22 mph. It’s a bit of a mess out there. The water’s warm, sitting at 85°, which is a bit above average, but that’s about the only positive.

Monday and Tuesday, August 10th and 11th, are flat. I mean, flat. The energy is almost non-existent, with combined energy readings in the low single digits. There’s nothing to get excited about. Wednesday morning, August 12th, offers a window of glassy conditions, but there’s no swell to go with it – just ankle-biters.

Thursday morning, August 13th, is the first time we see something that looks like a wave. The swell is still small at 2 ft, but the wind is off – a light SE breeze. It’s clean, but the energy is weak (47). The last half of the day the swell builds a touch to 4 ft, and the wind stays offshore. At Domes (Rincon), you might get a few crumbly ones on the point, but it’s not going to be one for the memory bank. Still, it’s probably the best the whole period has to offer for a paddle.

Things get blown out again on Friday, August 14th, with a strong ENE wind, and Saturday, August 15th, looks worse. The afternoon of Saturday brings a bit of swell – up to 8 ft – but it’s coming from the NE with a short 6-second period, and it’s accompanied by a fresh 22 mph cross-off wind. It’s a stormy, jumbled mess. At that size, with that wind, the lineup is going to be a battle. This setup looks more interesting for the kite crew than for paddle surfing.

From August 16th through the 24th, it’s a sad story. The swell stays small, mostly under 3 ft, with short, weak periods. The wind is all over the place – mostly cross or cross-off. There’s the odd glassy morning, like on the 21st and the 23rd, but there’s no swell to push through. The energy readings are consistently weak, often below 100.

If I’m being honest, there are no real standouts here. The only time it’s worth even paddling out might be Thursday morning, August 13th. The water’s warm and the wind is offshore, but the waves are going to be small and gutless. It’s a long-range promise that’s more about getting wet than getting barreled. Don't hold your breath for the rest of it.

Rusty.

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