La Jolla Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's take a look at what's on the menu for La Jolla Cove.

The forecast is a long, quiet stretch, I'm not gonna lie to you. The next week and a half looks pretty flat and uninspiring. We're looking at a run of weak, short-period windswell, with combined swell energy hanging around the 50s to 90s for most of that time. The water, when we get to the first real mention of it, is sitting at 74° on the 27th of July, which is a whopping 7° warmer than usual for this time of year. It's like surfing in a bathtub.

For the first week, from the 27th of July through to the 1st of August, it’s a whole lot of nothing. Waist-high dribble at best, with a constant cross or cross-onshore breeze. The wind isn't howling, but it's enough to mess up what little bump there is. The reports are all saying "poor surf conditions," and I'm not arguing. You'd be better off finding a pool.

We do get a little spike in energy on the 2nd of August. The "combined energy of all swells directed here" jumps to 216 on Sunday morning, and we see a 3ft swell from the WNW. The wind goes cross-offshore too, which is a big plus. The report calls it "clean" for that morning window. But the period is still short at 8 seconds, so it's just a little bump of weak, disorganized windswell. It’s the best on offer, but it's a very low bar.

Then, on the 3rd of August, we get a strange one. Monday morning sees a 3ft swell with a very clean vibe, but the real story is Monday afternoon. The swell drops to a tiny 1ft, but the period jumps to a massive 16 seconds from the SW, with the combined energy hitting 260. That's a proper groundswell pulse, but it's so small it's practically a whisper. It’s like a big wave energy that’s barely tickling the shoreline. For a reef and point setup like La Jolla Cove, that long period could make for a smooth, glassy little wave, but it’s a tough call for a beginner spot.

From the 4th of August onwards, it's back to the doldrums. The swell stays small, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore. There's a really weird instance on the 7th of August, Friday morning, where the wind is glassy from the NNE, but the swell is still a tiny 2ft. It's a beautiful morning to be on the water, but there's nothing to ride.

The real standout window, if you want to call it that, is the 10th and 11th of August. We get another long-period SW groundswell, with periods of 20 seconds and combined energy readings of 322 and 321. That's moderate energy. The swell is only 2ft, but that long period means it could have some push to it. The catch is that the wind is cross-onshore, so it'll be bumpy. For a more experienced surfer on a log, this might be the most interesting period, but it's over a week away, so keep your expectations in check.

Honestly, for the next 16 days, there’s no single moment I’d tell you to drop everything and paddle out. The best window is the morning of the 2nd of August for a tiny, clean windswell, or the long-period pulses on the 10th and 11th of August if you're desperate for a glide. But for a beginner spot, it's a long, quiet stretch. The water is super warm, which is nice, but the waves just aren't cooperating.

- Rusty

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