Isla Vista Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s call it like it is – this 16-day forecast is a stinker. We’ve got a long stretch of flat or poor surf, so don’t be in a rush to wax up. The first real chance to paddle out won’t come until Tuesday morning, July 28th.

On that Tuesday morning, July 28th, Isla Vista is the spot. It’s a beach and reef break, and it’s fairly exposed. The water is a toasty 69°, which is a lot warmer than usual for this time of year – feels like a hot tub. There’s a small 3 ft swell from the SW with a long 17-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and the combined energy is moderate at 568. The wind is a light 6 mph onshore breeze from the SW. The report says it’s marginal, but this is the best we’ve got. The long period might make it a little tricky for a beach break, but it’s something to surf. Expect the place to be busy.

The rest of this week and into the next is a real bummer. The swell drops off fast, and the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore. Wednesday the 29th has a 2 ft swell, and it’s all downhill from there. Thursday, Friday, and the weekend of July 31st to August 2nd are all poor. The surf is small, with short periods, and the wind is wrecking it. The combined energy gets weak, down in the 100s and 200s. There’s a tiny bump on Saturday morning, August 1st, with a 3 ft S swell at 13 seconds, but it’s still marginal with onshore wind. For the whole first week, you’re looking at small, messy dribble.

We then hit a real dead zone. From Monday, August 3rd, all the way through to Sunday, August 9th, the swell is tiny, mostly 1 ft or less, and the combined energy is often in the double digits – weak. The wind is light, but it’s onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf is consistently poor. That’s a solid week of flatness.

In the second week, things get a little more interesting but not by much. On the 10th and 11th of August, we see some very long-period swells (18 to 20 seconds), but they are tiny, at 1 ft. The combined energy finally climbs back into the 200s on the 10th and 11th, but it’s still a whisper. The real highlight, if you can call it that, is Wednesday, August 12th. The swell picks up to 2 ft from the SSW with a very long 18-second period, and combined energy hits 297. The wind is a light onshore breeze, but it’s still marginal. This is the best wave in the whole window, but it’s a week and a half out, so don’t count on it. For this stretch, that long-period swell might make it a bit more interesting at a reef setup, but it’s still small.

The bottom line? There’s no standout session here. The best on offer is the tiny, long-period groundswell on Tuesday morning, July 28th, and the slight bump on Wednesday, August 12th. For the rest, you’re better off staying on the beach. The forecast can change, but it’s a pretty bleak run right now.

Rusty.

Read more