Isla Vista Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what Isla Vista has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. We're looking at a long, drawn-out run of small, messy conditions before things potentially get a bit more interesting.

The opening week is pretty bleak. From Tuesday the 4th through to Saturday the 9th, it’s a real grind. Tiny swell, mostly around 1 to 2 feet, and the wind is all over the place – cross-on, onshore, just never really clean. The water temp is sitting at a very unusual 71°, which is a full 8° warmer than normal for this time of year. It’s like swimming in a bath, but the waves just aren't there to enjoy it. The combined energy is weak, rarely cracking 100, so there’s just no punch. This is a solid week of flatness.

Now, there’s a tiny flicker on Sunday the 9th afternoon. The wind goes glassy, and the swell bumps up a touch to 2 feet from the SSW with a 15-second period. The energy is still weak at 164, but the conditions are described as glassy. It’s the first time in the whole run the forecast even mentions surfable waves, but that’s a low bar. This is for the true optimist on a log.

The next week from Monday the 10th through to the following Sunday the 16th is more of the same story. Swell hangs around the 1 to 3 foot mark, mostly from the SSW. The winds are frustrating – light breezes but almost always cross-on or onshore, keeping things choppy and uninviting. The combined energy starts to climb into the low 200s and even 300s, meaning there’s a little more juice in the water, but the wind and small size ruin it.

There is a slight glimmer on the morning of Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th. Swell jumps to 2 feet and 3 feet respectively from the SSW, with periods around 16 seconds and energy over 290. The morning winds look okay, but the forecast only calls it “marginal.” This is a long-range hope.

The real curveball comes on Tuesday the 18th afternoon. The swell direction swings to the WNW, and the height jumps to 7 feet. That’s a big size for Isla Vista, and it would be for experts only. But the period is a short, weak 6 seconds and the wind is cross-on at 9 mph. The energy jumps to a strong 484, but the setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The following Wednesday morning the 19th drops to 4 feet from the WNW, still with that short period, and is called marginal.

So, what’s the standout? Honestly, there isn't one true gem. If I had to pick the *least bad* window, it’s Sunday afternoon the 9th. The 2 foot SSW swell with glassy conditions is your best chance for a clean, fun little session on a longboard, but you’ll have to work for it.

Stay patient, Isla Vista. The second week shows more energy, but the quality is still lacking.

Rusty.

Read more