Isla Vista Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for Isla Vista.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. The first week and a half is pretty grim. We’re looking at a whole lot of nothing for days on end. From Tuesday the 14th all the way through to the 23rd, it’s a real desert out there. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1ft to 4ft, and the wind is almost always on it or cross-onshore, just chopping everything up. You’ll see a lot of comments saying "poor surf conditions" in the data, and that’s the truth. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s small comfort when there’s no waves to ride. There are a few sessions that get a "marginal" tag, like Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th, but even then, the conditions are just not there. You’d be fighting a losing battle.

Saturday the 18th afternoon is the first real glimmer of hope. We get a glassy session with a tiny 2ft swell from the SW at a long 18 seconds. It’s not going to be big, but that glassy wind is a major positive. It’ll be clean, just small. The combined energy is moderate (303), so there’s a little bit of push, but this is about as mellow as it gets.

Then we hit a big gap where nothing’s really happening until the 24th. Friday the 24th morning sees a bit of a shift with a clean cross-offshore breeze from the ESE, but the swell is only 1ft from the SW with a very long 24-second period. That long period will make it tricky at a beach and reef setup like Isla Vista – it’ll be a bit straight and shifty, but at least it’s clean. Not a standout.

Now, the real talk comes on Saturday the 25th. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The 25th of July morning and afternoon both show a solid 4ft to 4ft swell from the S, with a period around 13-14 seconds. The combined energy jumps up to 832 and 819 – that’s strong to very strong wave energy. The wind is light cross-onshore, which is okay, but not perfect. Still, this is the biggest and most powerful swell of the whole outlook. It’s not a beginner wave at that size, especially in a beach and reef zone, but for the experienced crew, this is the best on offer. The S direction is a good match for the optimum W direction, so it’ll wrap in decently. Crowds are listed as "often" so expect it to be busy.

The Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th keep some energy in the water, but the swell drops back to 2ft to 2ft and the wind turns back onshore. It’s just not the same.

So, if you’re waiting for a wave, the long-range call is Saturday the 25th of July. That’s your best bet. The rest of the window is a write-off unless you’re desperate for a knee-high, glassy session on the 18th. It’s a lean spell, but forecasts can change. For now, I’d hang the board up and wait for that Saturday.

Rusty.

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