Isla Vista Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's on offer at Isla Vista over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the surf is looking pretty marginal for the most part. We’ve got a 16-day window, but the first solid entry isn’t until the afternoon of the 30th of July. Before that, we’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and often messy conditions. The water temp is sitting at 66° right now, which is a solid 4° above what we’d normally expect for this time of year, so it’s feeling much warmer than usual – no need for a thick wetsuit.

The first real standout is the afternoon of Thursday, 30th July. The wind is set to go glassy, which is a massive positive. We’ll see a 4ft swell wrapping in from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 381. It’s not a massive day, but with the wind dropping off completely, it’s going to be clean and fun. This is the best you’re going to see in the whole outlook.

The other moment that catches my eye is the Saturday morning, 25th July. The swell is only 2ft, but it’s coming from the SSW with a very long period of 21 seconds. That long period groundswell will push the energy up to 877 (strong), and it’s arriving with a light onshore breeze. Those long-period swells can be a bit tricky at a beach and reef setup like Isla Vista – they can break a bit straight – but that kind of energy on a small wave usually means some nice, lined-up walls. It’s a promising call, but as a long-range forecast, it’s less certain.

Honestly, for the first 13 days of the forecast, the waves are tiny, often under 3ft, with onshore winds and weak energy. It’s a lot of “marginal” and “poor” conditions. The swell direction is all over the place, and the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore. The best bet is to wait for that glassy window on the 30th, or keep an eye on that long-period blip on the 25th. For now, the board’s staying in the car.

Rusty.

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