Huntington Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I'm looking at the next couple of weeks here, and honestly, it's a bit of a flat spell ahead. We've got waves, but they're small and the conditions are making it tough to get excited. The real priority is timing the clean windows.

The main spot on the radar is Huntington Cliffs. It's a fairly consistent beginner-friendly break that's exposed to a southwesterly swell. The water is sitting at about 69°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – feels good if you're in a spring suit.

Let's start on Saturday the 18th – we've got a tiny 2ft swell from the SW, but the wind is onshore from the WSW. Combined energy is weak (357) and it's just poor surf. Not worth paddling out. Sunday morning you might see a bit more size at 3ft from the S, but it's cross-onshore and choppy. The afternoon cleans up a little with a 3ft SW groundswell and onshore wind, but it's still marginal.

Now, Monday the 20th is where you want to look. The morning has a 4ft SSW swell with onshore winds and a combined energy of 336. The wind is light, so it might be workable for a beginner on a longboard, but don't expect much. The rest of that week into the 24th is a mix of marginal surf and poor conditions. Swell stays in the 2ft to 4ft range, and we've got onshore or cross-onshore winds keeping things messy.

There’s a bit of a jump in energy on Friday the 24th morning with a 2ft swell but a really long 24-second period – that's a proper groundswell, way out of the pacific. Combined energy hits 811, but with a moderate cross-onshore breeze from the SSE, it'll be choppy and hard to enjoy. That afternoon cleans up a bit, but still marginal.

The standouts... Honestly, there aren't many. If you're desperate, Saturday morning the 25th and Sunday morning the 26th are the best bets. On the 25th, we see a 3ft SSW swell with a long 21-second period, light cross-onshore wind, and energy at 898. The 26th morning has a 3ft SW swell with light onshore wind and energy at 801. Both are marginal, but with the glassy-ish conditions, it could be fun on a fat fish or foamie. Just don't expect barrels.

Things get a little more interesting as we head into Thursday the 30th. The morning shows a 4ft S swell with a 15-second period and light cross-onshore wind. The energy jumps to 1049. By the afternoon, it's 5ft from the S with onshore wind and energy at 1079. That's getting into fun range for the more experienced surfers at low tide – the long period means it'll be a bit lined up, but it's still a beach break setup, so it could be a closeout machine. Crowds are likely here during these pulses.

Going into the first week of August, we see size dropping slightly with 5ft to 5ft swells, but the wind stays messy with cross-onshore conditions. The best of this whole run is probably Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st. On Friday morning we've got a 5ft S swell with light onshore wind and energy at 965 – it's marginal but the size is there for a beginner if the tide plays ball. The afternoon hits 5ft with onshore wind and energy at 1042 – that's the most powerful we've seen, but it's still messy.

Overall, there's no absolute dream day here. The waves are small, the wind is mostly wrong. For a complete beginner, Monday the 20th morning could be a fun little micro-session. For everyone else, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st offer the most size and energy, but be prepared for a bit of chop and some crowds. The long period swells here at a beach break will make for walls that run hard, so pick your peaks. Keep your expectations low and your stoke high.

- Rusty

Read more