Huntington Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the Huntington Beach forecast for the next couple weeks.

Honestly, it’s a slow period. The first chance you’ve got to even think about it is Sunday morning, August 9th, and it’s a pretty marginal call. We’ve got a long stretch here where the ocean is just small and onshore, with very few moments that are worth getting excited about. There are several days in a row with no quality surf.

Sunday, August 9th is the first option. Huntington Beach is exposed to the swell, and we’re seeing a long-period groundswell out of the SSW at 15 seconds. The wave height is about 3 ft, but it’s coming with a light cross-onshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph, putting a tiny ripple on the face. The water temperature is a very unusual 73°, which is 6° warmer than average for this time of year. The combined swell energy is weak (260), so the push is minimal. A long-period swell like this can be a bit straight on a beach break, but with waves this small, it’s about the only game in town.

Monday, August 10th through the end of the first week is pretty grim. The wind stays onshore from the SW and WSW at 6-9 mph, with wave heights dropping to 2 ft - 2 ft. The combined energy stays weak to moderate (178-380), but the conditions are consistently poor, with the wind messing up the surface.

We see a little energy bump around Friday, August 14th and Saturday, August 15th, with combined energy climbing into the moderate range (425-582) for 2 ft to 3 ft of SSW swell. But again, the wind is on it. Friday afternoon has a moderate breeze from the WSW at 12 mph, and Saturday morning is cross-on. The wave period is 16 seconds, which is a nice groundswell, but the onshore wind is going to chop it up.

The second week, from Sunday, August 16th onward, is more of the same. Tiny, onshore, and unappealing. Wave heights stay between 2 ft and 3 ft with periods from 13 to 21 seconds. The combined energy stays moderate (200-367), but the wind remains an onshore or cross-onshore factor from the SW or WSW, mostly at 6-9 mph. There’s a very long-period swell of 21 seconds on Saturday, August 22nd, but the wave height is only 1 ft with onshore wind. Not enough grunt. A consistent beach break like this, with small, wind-affected waves, can sometimes be better for kites than surfboards.

The only mornings that even get a glance are Sunday, August 9th and maybe Wednesday, August 19th, both with light wind and small, clean-ish lines. No standouts here. No big swell, no glassy conditions with any power. It’s a flat, windy stretch. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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