Surf Forecasts:
Jelly Bowl surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SSW swell with 386 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Jelly Bowl this week:
The surf forecast for Jelly Bowl over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 5s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Jelly Bowl in the next 16 days are 0.8m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jelly Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's on the table for this stretch.
Honestly, I've got to be straight with you – this is a tough one. We're looking at a 16-day window here, and it's pretty much a blank run. The wave energy is just too weak to get excited about, and the wind is never quite on our side. The first record we've got is for Monday, July 27th, but it's not a recommendation.
The whole period is a write-off for decent surf. We're looking at a solid 16 days of nothing really worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, mostly hovering around 0.7ft to 3ft, and the period is all over the place. It's a long stretch of poor conditions. The only break we've got on the list is Jelly Bowl, a reef setup that's fairly consistent, but it's not going to save us here.
The water is a bit of a talking point, though. It's running at 69°, which is a massive 7° warmer than usual for this time of year. That's really unusual – feels like a bath out there.
The wind is a constant problem. It's a light breeze, but it's always cross-onshore or onshore. There's a tiny window on the morning of Wednesday, July 29th, with a little 2ft SSW swell and an onshore wind, but it's still only a marginal outlook. The energy is weak, with combined energy readings mostly in the low hundreds, like 333 on that Monday morning, but it's just not enough to push through the crummy wind.
The swell is consistently from the SSW or S, which is the optimum direction for Jelly Bowl, but it's just too small. The period is long, between 15 and 19 seconds in the early days, which would normally be a sign of quality groundswell, but with such a tiny height, it's just a long wait for a tiny, blown-out wave. For a reef break like this, a long period can be good, but not when it's this small.
There's no standout. There's nothing that's even close to being good. If you're a kite surfer, the persistent cross-onshore wind and ankle-to-knee-high waves might be something to look at, but for paddle surfing, this is a total loss. This is one of those times where the area just goes quiet. It's a bummer, but forecasts can change, and this run of flatness won't last forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 22°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 6 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 312 | 255 | 267 | 336 | 234 | 229 | 223 | 217 | 179 | 268 | 324 | 284 | 215 | 212 | 205 | 137 | 53 | 117 | 78 | 37 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:50PM2.19m | 10:50AM1.52m | 9:25PM2.22m | 11:16AM1.55m | 10:00PM2.20m | 11:42AM1.59m | 10:33PM2.13m | 12:07PM1.64m | 11:08PM2.01m | 12:34PM1.69m | 11:45PM1.86m | 1:01PM1.76m | 00:28AM1.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:36PM1.16m | 4:14AM0.20m | 3:13PM1.11m | 4:43AM0.19m | 3:50PM1.07m | 5:11AM0.22m | 4:29PM1.04m | 5:38AM0.28m | 5:10PM1.02m | 6:03AM0.38m | 5:56PM0.99m | 6:27AM0.50m | 6:49PM0.96m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:59 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 25 |
Feels °C | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | W 6 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | W 6 | W 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 6 | W 10 | W 9 | W 6 |
| kJ | 312 | 49 | 267 | 336 | 40 | 79 | 223 | 217 | 179 | 268 | 324 | 284 | 215 | 212 | 205 | 137 | 50 | 117 | 78 | 37 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | SSW 17 | W 8 | W 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 15 | S 14 | W 9 | W 8 | W 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 6 | W 6 | W 8 | S 10 | SSW 9 | SW 13 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 40 | 255 | 69 | 49 | 234 | 229 | 157 | 144 | 57 | 37 | 17 | 49 | 32 | 29 | 40 | 63 | 53 | 28 | 44 | 24 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | S 10 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 14 | S 15 | W 8 | W 6 | S 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | SW 14 | S 20 | SW 19 | WNW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 9 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 14 | 2 | 29 | 54 | 41 | 155 | 33 | 27 | 128 | 24 | 12 | — | — | 33 | 7 | 15 | 30 | 19 | 16 | 27 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 85 | 4 | 0 | 121 | 4 | 0 | 85 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 4 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Jelly Bowl Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Jelly Bowl provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Jelly Bowl can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Jelly Bowl surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Jelly Bowl) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Jelly Bowl may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Jelly Bowl is 16 km (10 miles) from the city of Santa Ana. If you plan a vacation in Santa Barbara, look for hotels and other accommodation in Santa Ana. Santa Ana has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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