Huntington Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Huntington Cliffs over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m looking at a pretty grim stretch for the most part. The waves are tiny, weak, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, which just chops everything up. The water temp is sitting at 70°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re sitting there waiting for a wave that barely stands up.

We kick off on Tuesday, the 11th of August, with a 2ft SW swell but it’s coming with a 12 mph cross-on west wind. The combined energy is weak at 280, and the conditions are just plain poor. Wednesday and Thursday don’t offer much hope either – same tiny stuff, 2ft to 2ft, with onshore winds.

Friday the 14th sees a little more energy in the water, with the combined swell energy hitting 403 and 520, but the wave height is still only 2ft to 2ft. The wind is onshore from the WSW at 12 mph in the afternoon, so it’s messy. Saturday the 15th morning is probably the best of a bad bunch – a 3ft SSW swell, light offshore wind from the SW, and a combined energy of 460. It’s still only marginal, but it’s a window for a beginner to get a few soft ones. The tide might be a factor, so keep your eyes on that.

Sunday the 16th morning is similar – 3ft, light offshore wind, but the energy is dropping to 448. Afternoon gets choppy again. From Monday the 17th right through to the 25th of August, it’s a real desert. Wave heights bob between 1ft and 2ft, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy is weak to moderate. There’s a long gap here with no real recommendations.

Now, I’ll be honest, there’s a flicker of something promising way out there. On Wednesday the 26th of August, over a week and a half away, we see a pulse of bigger swell. Morning shows a 3ft SSE swell with a period of 18 seconds – that’s a long period groundswell. The combined energy jumps to 936, which is solid. The wind is light and offshore from the WSW. This is the standout of the whole forecast. The water will be clean, and that long period will bring some power. Afternoon sees the swell building to 4ft and energy hitting 1381, but the wind swings to 12 mph cross-onshore, so it’ll get chopped up. Catch the morning session if you can.

This is a beginner-friendly break, but if it gets over 5ft, it’s a different story. That 4ft afternoon wave is getting close to that limit. The long period stuff can also break a bit straight at a beach break, but for a point or reef setup like this, it’s a good thing.

So, my advice: don’t waste your time for the first couple of weeks. Keep an eye on that Wednesday the 26th morning. It’s a long way off, so forecasts can change, but it’s the only one that’s got any real sparkle.

Rusty.

Read more