La Jolla Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, same story, different numbers. We’re looking at a quiet stretch ahead for La Jolla Cove. Don’t go expecting any pumping groundswell or perfect barrels, we’re in a lull.

First up, Sunday the 13th of September starts off with a tiny 2ft SW swell. The period is a long 13 seconds, which gives it some shape, and the wind is a cross-off. That’s a plus, but the combined energy is a weak 217, so it’s small and a bit gutless. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. Afternoon gets even smaller, dropping to 1ft, with a very long 19 second period but cross wind. It’s just not doing much.

Monday the 14th sees a bump in size, up to 5ft, but the period drops right off to a short 8 seconds, so it’s going to be a bit of a jumbled mess. Winds are cross-off in the morning but turn cross in the arvo. The combined energy hits 445, which is moderate, but with that short period, the wave quality is questionable.

Tuesday the 15th we drop back down to 2ft, and the period stretches back out to 16 seconds. Combined energy sits around 260. It’s clean but small, and the winds are light and cross. It’s marginal, really.

From Wednesday the 16th all the way through to Saturday the 26th of September, it’s a very long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. Swells range from 1ft to 3ft, periods vary wildly from a short 7 seconds up to a long 21 seconds, but the winds are mostly cross-on or onshore, and the wave comments are consistently “poor” or “marginal.” The combined energy is mostly weak, under 300, with a few days in the middle of that period where it climbs into the moderate range, like the 665 on the 20th or 772 on the 21st, but the winds and conditions just don’t line up. The best description I’ve got for this entire run is "ordinary."

Now, if I have to pick a standout – and I use that term loosely – I’d point to Monday the 21st of September. You’ve got a 3ft SW swell, period a solid 17 seconds, with light to gentle cross winds. The combined energy is a moderate 772 in the morning and 721 in the afternoon. It’s still not clean enough to get excited about, but it’s the closest we get to something that might be worth a paddle if you’re desperate for a wave. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The rest of the period, right through to Monday the 28th, is just more of the same: small, weak, and onshore. The swell is consistently under 3ft from the 22nd onwards, with combined energy dropping below 300 for most of it. Don’t get your hopes up.

So, bottom line: this is a quiet, drawn-out spell. The setup is small and the wind is rarely your friend. If the swell was bigger, I’d say it’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, but honestly, even that’s a stretch. Just keep an eye on the forecast, things can change, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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