Huntington Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a pretty flat start for Huntington Beach, and honestly, it’s a bit of a slow burner for the next couple of weeks. There’s no real surf on offer until the weekend, so I’ll get you through the quiet spell first.

The water’s sitting at 69°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you can leave the thick rubber at home.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off. Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are practically flat with tiny 1ft SW swells and a cross-onshore breeze that’s just making it messy. The combined energy is weak (128 to 211), and the reports are all “poor surf conditions.” Not worth paddling out.

Saturday the 18th, we see a tiny uptick to 2ft, but the wind is still cross-on, and the energy is still moderate (301). With a period of 18 seconds, it’s a long period groundswell, but at that size, it’s barely breaking. The morning is “marginal surf” – you’d be forgiving for staying in bed.

Sunday the 19th, things start to look a little more interesting. The swell bumps up to 4ft – 4ft from the S, with a period of 13–14 seconds. The combined energy kicks up to 909 and 1141, which is moderate to strong. The wind flips to onshore but light, so it’s not completely trashed. The morning’s the best bet with a score that’s a little flicker of hope. It’s still only “marginal” but it’s the best we’ve seen all week.

Monday the 20th, the swell drops a touch, 4ft, and the wind is cross-on again. The morning still has a bit of life (688 energy), but it’s not a standout.

The standout window for this whole forecast is shaping up for Friday the 24th. That morning, we’ve got 5ft from the S, with a period of 13 seconds and combined energy hitting 1262 – that’s strong wave energy. The wind is light cross-onshore, which is messy but manageable. It’s the biggest swell of the period, and it’s breaking consistently. But here’s the thing: 5ft is starting to push into the too-big-for-beginners zone, and with the beach break here, it’s going to be a bit lumpy. It’s the best on offer, but it’s not pristine.

Another one to circle is Saturday the 25th. The swell drops to 3ft, but the period jumps to a very long 21 seconds from the SW. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is still 1111. Light offshore wind in the morning will make it glassy and clean. The long period means the waves will have shape and power, but at a beach break like Huntington, it can break a bit straight. Still, with the wind light and offshore, it’s a classic “sneaky good” morning session.

After that, we’re back into a run of small, cross-on, or choppy conditions through the end of July and into the first day of August. Nothing really stands out beyond those two days.

So, if you’re going to paddle out, aim for the morning of the 24th for the biggest waves, or the morning of the 25th for the cleanest, most lined-up groundswell. The rest of the time, it’s a bit of a flat, choppy mess.

Rusty.

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