La Jolla Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s on the cards for La Jolla Cove over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you, it’s a pretty slow period overall. There’s a big gap at the start with no real surf on offer, and it takes a while before things start to show any promise.

The first stretch isn't looking good at all. From Thursday the 20th of August right through to Tuesday the 25th, we’re dealing with tiny, weak waves and mostly cross-onshore winds that are chopping everything up. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1ft to 2ft, with very short periods and really low energy. It’s just not worth paddling out for.

The first real sign of life shows up on Wednesday the 26th of August in the morning. We’ve got a bit of a clean-up with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSW. Swell is still small at 2ft, but it’s from the SW with a decent long period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy is strong. The water temperature is sitting at 70°, which is about average for the time of year. This is the first highlight in the whole outlook. It’s a brief window of clean conditions, but the swell is tiny, so it’s more of a longboard session.

We hit a long dry spell again after that. From Thursday the 27th of August all the way through to the end of the month, the forecast is consistently poor. Swell is small, winds are mostly cross or cross-on, and the conditions just don’t line up. Days and days of nothing worth chasing.

The next proper standout comes on Tuesday the 1st of September in the morning. The swell picks up to 5ft from the WNW with a short period of 8 seconds. The energy is high, so there’s some power there. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the south at 15 mph. This is a bigger swell, over 5ft, so it might be a bit much for beginners, but for experienced surfers on a reef and point break like La Jolla Cove, that offshore wind and solid energy could produce some fun, clean waves. The short period means it won’t be super lined up, but it’ll be punchy.

Another potential gem pops up on Wednesday the 2nd of September in the morning. The swell drops back to 2ft from the SW, but it’s got that same long 16-second period, and the energy is again strong. With a light cross-offshore wind from the SSW, the surface should be glassy. This is a proper long-period groundswell, and it’s best for a point break like this one. The waves will have good shape and energy, but the long gaps between sets will make it a patient kind of session.

So, if I’m calling it, the clear best bet is Tuesday the 1st of September for the biggest, cleanest, most powerful surf of the whole forecast, though it’s for the experienced crew. For cleaner, more lined-up waves with a long period, the morning of Wednesday the 2nd of September is a standout, even though the size is much smaller. The rest is a lot of waiting.

Rusty.

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