La Jolla Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty damn flat and sad for our stretch of coast. I’ve scanned the charts, and honestly, there’s nothing out there that’s going to get the heart racing for a proper paddle. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions, with a few tiny blips that are barely worth mentioning.

The main issue is the wind. For the next several days, we’ve got a persistent cross-onshore flow, which is just going to chop up any bit of swell that tries to show its face. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a hood right away. It’s just... meh.

We’re starting off with a couple days of junk. Thursday and Friday are looking rough, with some small, weak swell and a cross-offshore breeze. You might see a few knee-high lumps, but it’s not going to be clean. The energy is weak, with combined energy readings around 193 to 203, which is nothing to write home about. It’s just a mess.

The weekend isn’t any better. Saturday and Sunday are looking at slightly bigger, but still poor, surf. Heights are around 3.5ft to 4.5ft, but the wind stays cross-onshore and it’s going to be fairly choppy. The swell period is short and weak, with energy values dropping into the low 100s and 200s. For the average punter, this is just discouraging. For a beginner, it’s a washout.

The start of next week, Monday September 1st and Tuesday the 2nd, sees the swell drop right back down. We’re talking about ankle-biters and grovelers. There’s a weird mix of tiny, long-period swell and even smaller short-period slop, but no real power or shape. The energy readings plummet to as low as 23 and 30. It’s just noise.

Then, get ready for a proper drought. From Wednesday the 3rd through Friday the 5th, the models show absolutely nothing. Zero. Nada. No swell of any kind. The ocean is just going to be a flat, windblown pond. If you’ve got a longboard and a lot of patience, maybe you can find a ripple, but honestly, it feels like a gap of at least three days where there’s simply no surf to be had.

There is a tiny flicker of hope late on Sunday the 6th. The forecast shows a small pulse of south-west swell, around 2ft, with a much better period of 13-14 seconds. This is a long-period groundswell, which for our reefs and points can mean some cleaner, more defined lines. The energy jumps to 245 and then 276. But the conditions are still uncertain, with the forecast calling it “marginal” and questioning the tide. It’s Monday the 7th where things get messy again, with a strong cross-onshore wind messing it all up. And by the 8th, we see a little more of that long-period energy, with the combined energy hitting 309, but it’s still only 2ft and the wind is light. It’s still not lighting any fires.

Honestly, the only spot to even think about is La Jolla Cove, but only because it’s the only named spot we've got. There might be something to find on its reefs and points when that long-period swell shows up. That 14-second period on Sunday and then again on Tuesday the 8th might just offer a few clean nuggets if the wind lays down, and its exposure to NW and SW swell lines up. But with its consistent break and sometimes crowds, you’ll have to share. But to be clear, we are scrapping the bottom of the barrel here.

I wouldn't be surprised if this turned into a kiting session for some of you on the beach breaks, because the paddle surfing is going to be zilch. It’s a rough patch, but this area tends not to stay this poor for long. The long-range stuff a week out is promising but less certain. Keep the faith, keep the board waxed, and check back with me later.

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