Isla Vista Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we're looking at a pretty flat stretch. The first real puff of energy we see is tiny, and the conditions are just off. We've got a long gap of poor to marginal surf that runs from Wednesday, July 15th, all the way through to the end of the first week. Don't bother getting the wetsuit out for that.

The only spot on the radar is Isla Vista, a beach and reef setup. The water's sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than we usually get this time of year. The early sessions are a write-off: small swell, wrong wind directions, and the energy is weak. There's a hint of something on Thursday morning, July 16th, with a 4 ft swell from the WNW, but it's a short-period 9-second windswell. The energy is still moderate (361) and the wind is onshore, so it's a pass.

Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th are more of the same—small, weak, and not worth the paddle. The combined energy does spike to 475 on Sunday afternoon, but it's still a crummy 2 ft on a 17-second period swell from the SW. That long period means the waves will be fat and straight, not good for a beach break.

The real glimmer of hope doesn't show up until Friday, July 24th. That afternoon, we get a glassy surface with a 4 ft, 15-second groundswell from the S. The combined energy jumps to a solid 847 (moderate), and the wind goes glassy. This is the standout of the whole forecast. The swell direction matches the optimum W, but it's close enough that the S groundswell will wrap in nicely. It's not huge, but it's clean, and after a week of nothing, this will feel like a holiday.

Saturday morning, July 25th, the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the S, but the wind swings onshore and the energy is strong at 1102. That'll be a bit of a mess, and the size is pushing into intermediate territory. The afternoon is cross-onshore, so it's blown out.

The last week of the month looks like a return to the small stuff. There's a few moments with marginal conditions, but nothing that screams "go." The energy drops off, the wind is mostly onshore, and the swell is small and inconsistent.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a complete write-off. The only real highlight is Friday afternoon, July 24th at Isla Vista, with clean, glassy conditions and a fun-sized S groundswell. That's your window.

Rusty.

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