L Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it’s Rusty here, and we’re looking at a grim stretch ahead at L Jetty. The next couple of weeks are basically a write-off for any decent surf, with only a couple fleeting, barely-rideable blips on the radar.

The water temp is sitting at a notable 75°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s about the only thing that’s above average around here.

We kick off Monday afternoon with tiny, ankle-high 0.3m (1ft) ESE swell, but it’s actually clean with a 25 km/h (16 mph) offshore wind. Problem is, there’s just no power – combined energy is only 40. The whole week is a bust. Tuesday and Wednesday stay tiny with that weak ESE energy. Thursday sees a slight bump to 0.5m (2ft) with a cross-shore breeze and messy conditions. Friday morning, the 28th of August, we finally get something that’s *technically* surfable: a 0.6m (2ft) S swell with a short 6-second period and combined energy of 67. The wind is light and clean from the SW. Then Friday afternoon goes glassy with a 0.7m (2ft) S swell (energy 81) – it’s still small and gutless, but it’s the most promising we get in the first week. Don’t get excited, it’s barely a ripple.

The weekend from the 29th into early September is a wasteland of tiny, onshore, choppy junk. You’re looking at 0.4m to 0.5m (1-2ft) with poor conditions. There’s a gap where there’s nothing worth paddling for.

Then comes a weird shift. Monday the 31st of August sees a 0.2m (0.7ft) swell with a ridiculously long 18-second period from the ESE, with moderate offshore wind. The energy is still only 59, so it’s just a long-period slosh. By the 1st and 2nd of September, that long-period groundswell builds into the 1.0m (3ft) range, with combined energy climbing into the 100-140 range – weak to moderate. But the wind is cross-onshore or cross, ruining any potential.

The real energy finally shows up on the 3rd of September. A 2.1m (7ft) E swell hits Thursday morning, with combined energy of 413. This is strong for the beach, but it’s crossed up by a 20 km/h (12 mph) NNE wind. It’s choppy, messy, and too big for beginners. Thursday afternoon the swell drops to 1.0m (3ft) but the period stretches to 14 seconds and the energy jumps to 846 – that’s a powerful, long-period groundswell. Unfortunately, it’s again crossed-up. This is not a paddle-friendly scenario; with that much size and a cross-wind at a beach/jetty setup, it honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than a proper surf session.

The 4th and 5th of September stay solid, with 1.9m to 1.6m (6-5ft) E swells, but the wind is blowing 30-35 km/h (19-22 mph) from the north and cross-shore. The energy is huge (over 400-700), but the conditions are just poor.

The only glimmer in the whole 16-day window is the morning of Sunday, the 6th of September. The wind goes light from the NNW, the swell settles to a clean 1.2m (4ft) from the E with an 8-second period, and combined energy at a moderate 246. The forecast calls for expect good surf conditions – that’s our standout. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ll see. The morning glass-off and clean lines make it punchy enough for a fun session. Just know it’s still a week and a half away, so it’s promising but far from locked in.

Other than that single morning, this whole outlook is a bust. A long blank run like this is not unusual for the area when the winds and swell direction just can’t line up.

Rusty.

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