L Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and weak around L Jetty. There’s just not much swell energy to get excited about, and the wind is often messy. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf ahead, so manage your expectations.

Starting off Friday the 24th of July, it’s tiny. We’re looking at a meager 1ft of swell from the SE, with a short period of 8 seconds and combined energy of just 31 (that’s weak). The wind is onshore or cross-on, so it’s choppy and basically unrideable. The water temp is sitting at 74°, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are more of the same. Swell bumps up a touch to 3ft on Saturday, but it’s onshore wind from the East at 15 to 16 mph, making a mess of it. The period drops to 6-7 seconds, so it’s just windswell junk. Energy is still low, in the 60s to 80s. Not worth paddling out.

The whole first week rolls on with no real hope. Monday the 27th through to Thursday the 30th of July sees swell holding around 1ft to 2ft, with periods mostly under 10 seconds. The wind is cross or cross-on, and we’ve got some storm risks and cloudy days. The only slight glimmer is Thursday afternoon the 30th – the swell period stretches to 10 seconds and the energy climbs to 133 (moderate), but it’s still only 2ft, with a light cross breeze. The “poor surf conditions” label tells you all you need to know.

Friday the 31st of July is a bit of a tease. Swell is still 2ft, but the energy jumps to 144 (moderate). The problem is the wind is cross-onshore at 12 mph in the morning, so it’s choppy. By the afternoon, the wind drops to a light breeze, but it’s still cross-on, and the swell is too small and weak to do anything with.

The first few days of August are a barren wasteland. Swell drops back to 1ft to 2ft, energy is in the 20s to 60s, and the wind is mostly cross or cross-off. The only small bright spot is Monday the 3rd of August in the morning. We get a glassy 2ft swell from the SSE, with an 8-second period, and the conditions are described as “surfable waves but very ordinary.” It’s a 1/10 day, so don’t get your hopes up, but if you’re desperate, it’s the best we’ve seen in over a week.

Then we hit a real gap. From Tuesday the 4th through to Thursday the 6th of August, it’s all tiny, weak, and cross-shore. Swell is 1ft to 3ft, energy is in the 20s to 60s, and the wind is messy. Not worth a look.

Finally, Friday the 7th of August shows a bit of promise. The wind finally goes offshore from the West in the morning, and cross-off in the afternoon, at 6 to 9 mph. The swell is still small at 2ft to 3ft from the S, with a short 6-second period, and energy is only 34 to 42. It’s clean, but the waves are weak and small. If you’ve got a longboard, you might scratch into a few.

Saturday the 8th of August starts glassy again in the morning with 3ft swell, but it’s a short 6-second period, and the energy is just 57. The afternoon turns cross-shore and lumpy. Another day for the log.

Overall, there’s no standout period here. The most promising session is probably Monday morning the 3rd of August, with glassy conditions, or Friday the 7th of August with offshore wind. But even then, the swell is tiny and weak. The setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer given the small, choppy conditions. For the rest of the 16 days, you’re better off taking a break or checking the forecast again later. Things can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty

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