Huntington Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here with a look at the next couple of weeks for Huntington Cliffs. If you’re hoping for a classic Southern California summer, we’ve got a mixed bag, but let’s cut through the noise.

Alright, straight up – the first few days are a write-off. Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are tiny and weak, with a combined energy of just 333 and 267, and that’s on the low side. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, so the water is going to be bumpy. Not worth paddling out for.

We start seeing a little more life on Wednesday the 26th. The morning has a combined energy of 660 which is moderate, with a 4ft swell from the south at a short 12 seconds. Wind is light cross-onshore, so there will be small ripples. It’s still marginal, but if you’re desperate, it’s the best of a bad bunch.

The real bright spot? I’m looking at the morning of Saturday the 29th. The combined energy jumps to 641, with a solid 3ft S-SW swell at a long 17 seconds. That is proper groundswell. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit textured but clean enough. The water’s a balmy 73°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a big plus, feels like bathwater. This is the pick of the weekend, but the long period might make the waves a bit fat and straight-breaking at a beach break like this. Head to the reef or points if you can.

As we roll into the first week of September, it’s a little more promising. The morning of Wednesday the 2nd has a 4ft S-SW swell at 12 seconds, and the wind is only a slight air from the SW at 3 mph. That’s almost glassy. Combined energy is 508 – moderate. This is a sneaky good session if you can get out.

The morning of Tuesday the 8th has a 5ft swell from the S-SW, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect. Combined energy is 731, which is moderate, but still, the wind direction is a bit of a spoiler. For a beach break, the long period stuff (17-19 seconds) we keep seeing in the mornings is a double-edged sword – it can be clean but straight.

Honestly, there’s no huge, standout day. The best on offer is likely the morning of Saturday the 29th August for the cleaner conditions and the warmer water, or the morning of the 2nd September for the glassy wind. The rest of the time it’s a case of keeping an eye on the tide and hoping the wind lays down. The plus side is the water is consistently warm, so you won’t need a wetsuit.

Keep your hopes up, but don't expect perfection. This is Huntington Cliffs – it can be fickle.

Rusty.

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