Huntington Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me have a look at what we've got coming up on the calendar for your local spot.

To be honest, it’s a pretty grim picture over the next 16 days for Huntington Cliffs. We’re looking at a long stretch of nothing special, with a whole lot of small, weak, and messy surf. The first few days, starting Tuesday the 28th of July, show some waist-high swell pushing in, but it’s got a real long period of 17 seconds – feels more like a groundswell – and with a light onshore breeze, the reports are already calling it marginal. That 3ft from the SSW with combined energy of 787 (moderate) sounds tempting, but the tide or something just isn’t lining up, and the wind isn’t friendly.

Wednesday the 29th gets even more iffy. The morning is a cross-on mess, and while the swell hangs around 3ft to 4ft, the period drops a touch and the onshore wind keeps it choppy. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st aren’t much better – a little more size at 4ft, but it’s all onshore wind and the energy is fading, dropping from 737 down to 640. By Friday afternoon, the forecast is just calling it poor.

Then, from Saturday the 1st of August all the way through to Wednesday the 12th of August, it’s a total drought. Swell drops right off to a pathetic 1ft to 2ft, the energy is weak – often under 200 and barely cracking moderate – and the wind is almost always cross-onshore or straight onshore. There’s a few days with a light breeze which would normally be a positive, but with that tiny swell? Nothing to ride.

There’s a tiny blip Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th of August where the swell seems to lift a little to 2ft-3ft from the SSW with periods around 16-18 seconds, but the energy is still weak to moderate, and the wind is onshore again. The water temperature is currently sitting at a very unusual 72°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but it won’t make the surf any better.

This stretch is a classic blank run for the area. There’s no standout period, no day to get excited about. The only thing worth saying is that for a beginner spot like this, that initial 3ft to 4ft swell on the 28th through 31st is at least small and safe, but the onshore wind kills any quality. For experts, the swell never gets over 8ft, so there's no challenge there either. Honestly, unless you’re keen on a choppy, onshore paddle, I’d leave the board at home and keep an eye on the charts for a change. It tends not to stay this flat for long.

Rusty

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