Isla Vista Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next few weeks.

Honestly, it’s a slow start, and we’re looking at a pretty quiet stretch. The first recommendation doesn’t pop up until Friday the 4th of September, so we’ve got about a week of pretty flat, messy conditions to sit through. The energy is just not there for a proper paddle session for a while.

The real standout, and the only one I’d point you toward, is Isla Vista. This is a beach and reef setup, and it’s fairly consistent, but don’t expect much for the first week. The first sign of life comes on Friday the 4th of September in the afternoon. The water is sitting at 71°, which is a whopping 7° warmer than normal for this time of year—that’s very unusual, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home. We’ll see a clean little 3 ft swell from the SSW, with a long period of 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and with the wind going glassy, it’ll be smooth as silk. The combined swell energy is moderate at 478, so there’s a bit of push behind it. This is the best on offer.

Then, the next chance rolls around on Monday the 7th of September in the morning. Again, a glassy session with 2 ft from the SSW and a 14-second period. The wind is dead calm, so it’ll be clean. The energy is a bit lower at 268, but it’s a nice, quiet window.

Other than that, we’ve got small, cross-on slop for the rest of the period. The swell is mostly under 3 ft, and the wind is generally onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy. There’s a bit of a bump on the 12th of September with a 5 ft swell, but it’s a short-period, wind-driven 6-second thing from the WNW, and the wind is cross-on, so it’s not going to be pretty. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than a clean paddle.

So, if you’re keen, pencil in the 4th and the 7th of September for some glassy, small-wave fun. It’s not pumping, but it’ll be a rewarding session if you’re patient.

Rusty.

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