Isla Vista Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next 16 days around Isla Vista are a tough watch for surfers. We’ve got a long stretch of weak, messy, and marginal conditions, though there’s a couple of moments that might get the heart beating.

Right from the start, Sunday the 6th offers next to nothing. We’re looking at a tiny 2 ft swell from the SSW with a decent 15-second period, but the onshore breeze is on it, and the combined energy is only moderate at best (153). The water temperature is sitting at 69°, which is a massive 6° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, you’d be swimming in bathwater, not surfing.

The whole first week is a write-off. Monday the 7th bumps up to 4 ft from the S with a 13-second period and a combined energy of 460, but the cross-onshore wind at 9 mph messes it up with chop. The rest of the week stays small – mostly 1 ft to 3 ft – and the wind keeps it grotty. There’s a long gap of nothing recommended until we get to Saturday the 12th afternoon, where a 4 ft WNW swell shows up, but with a period of only 6 seconds and a cross-onshore breeze, it’s just wind chop. Not your day.

Into the second week, Sunday the 13th afternoon finally gets some size – 8 ft from the WNW with a combined energy of 702 (strong), but the period is only 7 seconds, so it’s a lumpy, short-interval beast. The cross-onshore wind is 9 mph, and at that size, this is strictly for experts only. It’s a beach and reef setup here, so that short-period swell is going to close out fast. Honestly, this looks more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

Monday the 14th still has some push – 6 ft from the WNW in the afternoon, but again, a 6-second period and cross-onshore wind keep it ugly. The rest of the run from the 15th to the 21st drops right back to knee-high stuff (1 ft to 3 ft), with weak combined energy (often between 217 and 417) and persistent light cross-onshore breezes. There’s a couple of mornings with light offshore wind from the SSW or SW, but the swell is simply too small – 2 ft – to bother.

If you’re desperate, Sunday the 13th afternoon is the one true standout for size, but it’s a long-range call so treat it as promising but less certain. Crowds at Isla Vista are often a problem, but with this poor quality, you might have it quiet anyway. For the rest of it, we’re looking at a blank run of about 7 days straight with no real recommendations – that’s just how it goes here sometimes. Forecasts can change, but for now, I’d say give the board a wax and wait.

Rusty.

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