Isla Vista Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with ya – this stretch for Isla Vista is a tough one. We're looking at a long, long run of days with very little to get excited about. It’s a beach and reef setup that’s fairly exposed to the west, but the swell just isn't cooperating for paddle surfing for the majority of the next 16 days. The water is sitting at 70° right now, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’ll be pleasant just sitting in the lineup, but you won't be doing much riding.

Right from Tuesday the 18th through to the first week, it’s essentially a write-off. We’ve got tiny dribbles of south-southwest swell mixing in, never cracking 3 ft, and what’s there is so weak the combined energy barely gets into triple digits (260). The wind is mostly light, but it's onshore or cross-onshore, messing up what little shape there is. You’ll see a brief blip of short-period west-northwest windswell around the 22nd, but still under 3 ft and too crumbly. Honestly, this whole first week looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer given the wind and small, poor-quality waves; for us, it's a massive gap of nothing.

Things get a tiny bit more interesting heading into the second week. There’s a pulse of longer-period groundswell from the W on the 24th pushing to 5 ft (293 energy), but it’s that short 6-second period, which means gutless and won’t hold up well at this spot. The 28th of August morning shows a glimmer, with the combined energy jumping to 298 and a 3 ft swell from the WNW at 8 seconds, coupled with light offshore wind from the WSW. The break gets a 1 out of 10, and it's only described as marginal, but with those light offshores, it could offer a few clean, rideable waves if you’re desperate. But don’t expect much.

The only real standout in this whole outlook comes right at the end, on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning has a 3 ft WNW swell with an 8-second period hitting 281 energy under a light cross-onshore breeze. Not perfect, but it’s still clean enough. The afternoon is where it's at though – the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the WNW, combined energy hits 404 (moderate), and the wind swings offshore from the SW. It’s still a short-period 6 seconds, so it'll be a bit on the dumpy side for a beach and reef break, but that’s the most power and best conditions on offer for the whole 16 days. It’s for the more experienced crew though; 5 ft with that period can be punchy. If you’re an intermediate or above, that’s the window to look at. Everything else is a pass.

Chin up – when it’s this flat for this long, the next change is almost always on its way.

- Rusty

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