Huntington Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Huntington Cliffs. Let’s be real – the next couple of weeks are a flat, frustrating run. There’s just nothing doing for the most part. The water temp is running about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf. From Sunday the 16th right through to Sunday the 23rd of August, it’s a write-off – waves are tiny, mostly around 1 ft to 3 ft, and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, chopping everything up. The combined swell energy barely cracks 300 (weak to moderate at best), and with short-period swell around 13 to 16 seconds, it’s just not worth paddling out. Expect poor conditions every day.

Now, there is one tiny glimmer. On Monday morning, the 24th of August, we get a brief moment of hope. The wind goes glassy, dead calm from the WNW at 3 mph, and the swell ticks up to 2 ft from the SW with a long period of 18 seconds. Combined energy hits 246, still weak, but that glassy wind will make it look clean. It’s not going to be epic – just small, clean, and rideable for a beginner session. The break is fairly consistent, but crowds are often here, so expect company.

After that, it’s back to the grind. From the 25th through the 31st of August, we’re looking at more of the same: tiny 1 ft to 3 ft swell, mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds, and poor surf quality. There’s a slight bump on the 29th of August with 3 ft from the SSW and 16-second period, but it’s still cross-onshore and messy. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – there’s just not enough juice for a proper wave.

So, bottom line: if you’re desperate, the Monday 24th of August glass-off is your only real option. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game. The breaks here are fairly consistent, so it won’t stay this flat forever – forecasts can change.

Rusty

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