Golfcourse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about what’s on the cards for our stretch of coast.

We’re looking at a pretty flat and frustrating start to this run. The surf for the first few days is barely a pulse, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore. Honestly, it’s not worth paddling out for. We’ve got a shot at Golfcourse, but through Tuesday the 20th, conditions are just poor. There’s a tiny bit of energy on Thursday the 21st, but it’s still marginal at best, and the wind keeps messing with the surface. You’d be fighting it the whole time.

The water temp is sitting at 83°F, which is right about normal for this time of year, so at least it’ll be warm while you’re getting skunked.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. There’s a real pulse of long-period groundswell arriving around Monday the 24th. The energy jumps up into the moderate zone (459) and it’s coming from the ESE with a period of 14-16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The morning of the 24th looks like it might just be surfable, but the winds are still cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy.

The real story, though, is the big one. By Tuesday the 25th, that swell really kicks in. We’re looking at 8ft to 8ft waves with a huge jump in energy (3214 to 3682). This is a powerful swell, but it’s still a bit rough with the cross-onshore wind. The wave period is long, 16-17 seconds, which is fantastic for shape, but it’s also a lot of water moving around. Wednesday the 26th sees it get bigger, up to 10ft to 12ft. The energy is now strong (5117 to 6781). This is when it gets serious.

The problem is, this spot—Golfcourse—is a beginner spot. Once the swell pushes much past 5ft, it’s too much for beginners, and over 8ft, it’s strictly for experts. So Wednesday through Friday the 28th is going to be a washout for the average surfer. The conditions are clean, with offshore winds on Friday morning, but the size is just overwhelming. It would be one for the big-wave chargers only, and even then, it’s a close-out risk at a beach break.

Then we get the standout. Saturday morning, the 29th of August. The swell drops back to 7ft, the period is still a solid 13 seconds from the SE, and the wind goes glassy. The energy is still strong (2014), but it’s manageable. The conditions are described as glassy, and this is the one window where everything lines up. It’s still big, but for an experienced surfer, this is the pick of the whole 16-day forecast. It’s going to be powerful and hollow, but that glassy wind will keep it clean. This is what you wait for.

After that, the swell backs off a touch but stays solid into Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st, though the winds get more cross-onshore again. The size is still challenging, but the quality drops off. Into the first week of September, we’ve got more solid swell, but the winds are choppier. It stays in the 7ft to 10ft range, but the surface is going to be messy.

So, if you’re an experienced surfer, that Saturday morning the 29th is your window. It’s going to be powerful, but with that glassy wind, it’ll be the cleanest big day you’ll get. For everyone else, the next week and a half is either too small, too messy, or way too big. Keep an eye on it, though. With this much energy in the water, it won't stay flat for long.

Rusty

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