Huntington Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty quiet for Huntington Cliffs, with no standout days in the mix. The swell stays small and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, which keeps things messy. That said, the longer-range outlook shows a late kick that’s worth keeping an eye on, even if it’s still marginal for now.

The first week, from Saturday 22 August through to around Thursday 28 August, offers very little to get excited about. Swell heights hover between 1 ft and 4 ft, coming mainly from the SSW to S, with periods ranging from 12 to 19 seconds. The combined swell energy sits between 131 and 560 – weak to moderate, but it’s the wind that lets it down. Most sessions have onshore or cross-onshore breezes between 3 mph and 12 mph, leading to choppy surfaces or small wind ripples. The surf is described as “poor” or “marginal” throughout, with no real quality windows. Beginners might find the smaller days rideable, but nothing’s breaking clean.

Wednesday 26 August afternoon sees a bump to 4 ft from the S with a 15-second period and combined energy of 785, but the cross-onshore wind keeps it rough. Thursday 27 August holds similar size but still with light cross-onshore wind and short-ish 12-second period, so it’s not working. Friday 28 August morning has a touch of 2 ft from the SSW at 19 seconds with glassy morning conditions, but combined energy of 478 and the marginal tag suggest it’s not really delivering.

After a very quiet stretch, things start to pick up around Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September – but this is still not a true standout. On Saturday 5 September morning, the swell reaches 4 ft from the SSE with a 16-second period and combined energy of 1397, but the cross-onshore wind from the S at 6 mph is a problem. The afternoon improves slightly to 5 ft from the S with a 16-second period, combined energy of 1664, and onshore wind – so still not clean. This is the biggest swell of the outlook, but without good wind it won’t be surfing well.

Sunday 6 September morning pulls the best overall combination: 5 ft from the SSE, 15-second period, combined energy of 1477, and SW wind at 6 mph. The wind is onshore here, but the guidance still rates it as a 3/5 for beginners, and it’s the closest thing to a window in the whole run. That said, the break is only “fairly consistent” and crowds are “often” a factor, so expect company if you do paddle out. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, with no anomaly worth noting.

The long gaps between any real quality mean that while there are small waves scattered around, Huntington Cliffs isn’t doing much for paddle surfing through most of August. The late kick early in September is promising but still not quite coming together with the right wind. It’s a waiting game, and as always, forecasts can shift. For now, I’d be keeping an eye on the 6 September window, but don’t get your hopes up just yet.

Rusty.

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