Huntington Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here.

We’re looking at a pretty quiet stretch ahead for Huntington Cliffs. There’s no real standout surf to get excited about, and honestly, it’s one of those periods where you’d be better off doing something else unless you’re desperate for a splash.

The water is sitting at 73°, which is a whopping 6° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so at least you won’t need the thick rubber.

The opening morning on Thursday, the 27th of August, has a little something. We’ve got a 3ft swell coming out of the S with a period of 12 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate at 518. It’s a bit of a groundswell, so it might offer a few lined-up ones, but the conditions are just marginal. The light breeze from the SW is onshore, but light enough that it shouldn’t totally trash it. It’s only for beginners anyway, so if you’re learning, it’s a wave, but don’t expect any fireworks. After that, it drops right off.

Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th of August also have a few small windows. Friday morning has a tiny 2ft swell from the SSW with a very long 17-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, but it’s tiny. The combined energy is 351, which is moderate, but the size just isn’t there to do much with it, and it’s another “marginal” call. Saturday morning bumps back up to 3ft from the SSW with a 17-second period, and the energy climbs to 688. That’s the biggest pulse of energy we see, but again, the conditions are marginal, and it’s still a small wave. The afternoon gets choppy with a cross-onshore wind.

From Sunday the 30th of August right through to the second week, it’s a long, bleak run. You’ll see small swells in the 2ft to 3ft range, mostly with periods between 10 and 16 seconds. The wind is mostly light and onshore or cross-onshore, so you’re looking at bumpy, weak surf. The combined energy stays in the moderate range but it’s just not enough to overcome the poor ratings. There’s a gap of several days here where there’s nothing worth paddling out for.

The only flicker of a different story comes on Tuesday morning, the 8th of September. The swell is tiny at 2ft from the SW, but the period is 18 seconds—that’s a very long groundswell. And here’s the important bit: the wind goes glassy. It’s a slight air, meaning the surface will be like glass. For a brief moment, if you’ve got a longboard and zero expectations, that glassy surface on a long-period swell could be a very peaceful paddle. But it’s still 2ft, so don’t kid yourself about getting barrelled. The energy is 344, so moderate.

Bottom line: there’s no real surf to chase here. It’s a long period of small, marginal conditions. The 8th might be the best of a bad bunch if you just want to sit out there on a glassy morning, but that’s it.

Rusty.

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