Surf Forecasts:
Emma Wood State Beach surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period, S swell with 280 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 13s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Emma Wood State Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Emma Wood State Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Emma Wood State Beach in the next 16 days are 0.9m 13s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Emma Wood State Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Rusty here. Well, I’ve been staring at the charts for Emma Wood State Beach, and I gotta be honest with you, there’s not a single standout session in this whole 16-day window. The numbers are all telling the same story: small, messy, and not worth paddling out for. This is a classic blank run for the area, and it’s a tough one to swallow.
We start off on Friday, August 21st, and it’s just a flat, frustrated scene. Tiny 1ft swells from the SSW, with a period of 13 seconds. The energy is weak, sitting at just 55 – that’s nothing. The water is 70°F, which is a massive 6°F warmer than it should be for this time of year – that’s very unusual. But the wind is onshore from the WSW, and the conditions are just plain poor. This keeps up all weekend. Saturday (August 22nd) and Sunday (August 23rd) are a carbon copy: 1ft to 1ft swells, cross-onshore wind, all of it rated poor. You’re better off having a BBQ.
Through the first week of the forecast, we get a slight bump in energy, but it’s not helping. By Monday, August 25th, we see the combined energy climb to 329 (moderate), and the swell gets up to 2ft from the S, but the wind is still onshore, and the reports call it “marginal.” Wednesday, August 26th, sees the best energy of the bunch at 436 (moderate), with a 3ft swell from the S, but with a period of only 13 seconds and that wind, it’s still not worth a trip. The waves are just too small and too weak to compete with the breeze.
The second week of the forecast is a cruel joke. From August 31st to September 5th, the swell stays tiny, mostly under 2ft, and the wind is either cross-onshore or onshore. There’s a moment on Monday, August 31st, where the energy jumps to 257 and the swell is 4ft, but get this – the period is a pathetic 5 seconds. That’s wind chop, not surf. It’s a complete no-go, and the conditions are all marked as “poor” or “marginal” at best.
This is a lean stretch, folks. The waves are just not cooperating. Emma Wood is a beach and reef setup that’s fairly exposed, but with the wind coming from the wrong directions and the swell energy being so weak, you’d genuinely have more fun with a kite than a paddle. There’s no promise here. Sometimes it just goes flat, and this is one of those times. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d put the board away.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat morning, min 21°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue morning, min 23°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 17 | WNW 6 | SW 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | WNW 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
35 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 43 | 71 | 33 | 57 | 68 | 70 | 46 | 106 | 69 | 170 | 246 | 222 | 280 | 193 | 190 | 144 | 109 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:55AM1.01m | 5:27PM1.44m | 8:52AM1.08m | 6:31PM1.52m | 9:04AM1.13m | 7:18PM1.62m | 9:18AM1.17m | 7:56PM1.71m | 9:34AM1.23m | 8:30PM1.78m | 9:52AM1.29m | 9:03PM1.82m | 10:11AM1.37m | 9:35PM1.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:39AM1.03m | 1:36AM0.18m | 12:31PM0.99m | 2:15AM0.08m | 1:22PM0.91m | 2:45AM0.01m | 1:58PM0.80m | 3:13AM-0.05m | 2:31PM0.70m | 3:38AM-0.09m | 3:03PM0.60m | 4:01AM-0.09m | 3:37PM0.51m | 4:25AM-0.05m | |||||||
6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | W 6 | W 5 | W 9 | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | W 5 | W 6 | S 15 | W 6 | S 13 | S 13 | W 6 | S 12 | S 12 | W 6 |
8 | 34 | 23 | 14 | 8 | 22 | 13 | 39 | 21 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 35 | 170 | 52 | 222 | 280 | 52 | 190 | 144 | 56 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | W 5 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | SSW 15 | WNW 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 14 | W 6 | W 13 | S 12 | W 8 | W 9 | S 11 |
35 | 5 | 34 | 33 | 19 | 71 | 25 | 57 | 68 | 70 | 41 | 58 | 69 | 66 | 246 | 35 | 32 | 193 | 69 | 56 | 59 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SSW 15 | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SSW 13 | SSE 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 13 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | SSW 13 |
12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 43 | 19 | 33 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 46 | 71 | 34 | 13 | 39 | 39 | 14 | 30 | 26 | 25 | 70 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 5 | — | — | W 5 | W 5 | W 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | W 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | W 6 | WNW 6 | — | — | WNW 6 |
— | — | — | — | 36 | 40 | — | — | 37 | 21 | 34 | 106 | 47 | 80 | 118 | 45 | 110 | 114 | — | — | 109 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 19 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 99 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 91 | 19 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Ventura County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Emma Wood State Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Emma Wood State Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Emma Wood State Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Emma Wood State Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Emma Wood State Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Emma Wood State Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Emma Wood State Beach is 5 km (3 miles) from the city of Ventura. If you plan a vacation in Ventura County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ventura. Ventura has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











