Huntington Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf, and we’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and mostly messy waves ahead. It’s one of those times where you might be better off staying on the beach with a cold one than paddling out for sloppy, knee-high leftovers.

The whole period kicks off with very little on offer. From Monday the 14th right through to the end of the month, we’re looking at a persistent run of small, short-period swells. The wave heights are hovering around 1ft to 3ft, which is barely enough to get a longboard moving, and the periods are mostly in that 12 to 20-second range. While those longer periods suggest some energy, the swell is just too small to make anything of it at the beach breaks. The wind is also not doing us any favors, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, chopping up what little surface there is. The combined energy is weak to moderate for most of it, sitting in the 200s and 300s (like 218, 374, 503), which is just not enough to push through the chop.

We’re looking at a serious dry spell. There’s a solid gap from the 14th through the morning of the 29th where there are no good options at all. It’s a long stretch of “poor surf conditions” and “marginal surf forecast.” If you’re keen, you might find a tiny, weak wave on Thursday the 17th morning, Friday the 18th morning, or Saturday the 19th morning, but they’ll be marginal, and honestly, they’re not worth getting excited about.

But hold on, there is one little light at the end of the tunnel. On the morning of Tuesday, September 29th, the stars almost align. We’ve got a glassy dawn with a light 5 km/h SSW wind, and the surf is a tiny 0.5m (2ft). The period is a juicy 16 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The combined energy is still weak (208), and it’s still small, but that glassy surface and the clean lines make it the standout window of the whole forecast. It won’t be big, but it could be the cleanest, most user-friendly wave we see in a fortnight. The water is a very unusual 73°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s over five degrees above average, so you can definitely leave the booties at home for this one.

So, while the next couple of weeks are mostly a write-off, keep Tuesday the 29th in the back of your mind. It’s not a day for heroes, but it might just be the only day worth getting wet for a long, mellow, clean session at Huntington Cliffs. Otherwise, keep the board in the car and the expectations low—this is a classic “wait for the next swell” situation. The long-range forecast looks promising, but it’s a long way out, so we’ll see.

Rusty.

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