Huntington Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and talk about what’s actually happening in the water.

Overall, it’s a quiet stretch ahead. The first week or so is looking pretty average to poor, with a lot of marginal conditions and onshore winds messing things up. There’s a spike in size later on, but that comes with its own set of problems. You’ll need to be patient and pick your moments.

We start with Huntington Beach. Saturday the 29th of August morning has a little bit of life, with a 3ft swell from the SSW, and a nice long period of 17 seconds. That groundswell energy is moderate (650). The wind is light offshore, which is a major positive. The water is running at 75°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a nice treat. The afternoon, though, the wind swings onshore and picks up, so it’s a morning-only window.

Sunday the 30th of August through to about the 7th of September is a real grind. Swell stays small, mostly around 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore for most of it. The combined energy drops off into the 200s and 300s, which is weak. Conditions are choppy and poor. There are a few mornings with a light breeze, but the overall quality is just marginal. Keep your expectations low.

Now, here’s something to keep an eye on. Tuesday the 8th of September brings a big jump in size. You’re looking at a 7ft morning swell from the S, with a moderate energy reading of 1585. That’s a lot of water moving. But the wind is cross-onshore, and by the afternoon it’s a solid 10ft. That’s in the expert-only zone, and with the wind angle, it’s going to be a messy, powerful beast. This is more of a spectacle than a good surf day for most.

The following days, from the 9th to the 12th of September, the swell fades fast and the wind stays bad. Small, choppy, and not worth paddling out for.

Finally, on Sunday the 13th of September, we get a tiny window of glass. The wind goes glassy early, with a 2ft swell from the S. The period is 12 seconds, so it’s a bit on the shorter side, but with that glassy surface, it’ll be the cleanest wave of the whole run. The energy is still low (238), so don’t expect power, but it’ll be the most user-friendly conditions.

The best bet in this whole outlook is the early Saturday morning, the 29th of August. The offshore wind, the 3ft groundswell, and the warm water make it a rare gem. The Sunday morning, the 13th of September, is a close second if you can handle the lack of energy for the sake of clean, glassy conditions.

Rusty out.

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