La Jolla Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty flat and pretty sad. There's a couple of weak pulses of swell, but the wind is never truly on our side, and the water's a bit of a shocker. For the first surfable wave, we're looking at Thursday morning, August 6th, at La Jolla Cove. This is a reef and point, so it's usually a bit more forgiving, but the swell is tiny at 2 ft from the SW, with a 13-second period. The combined energy is weak at 117. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the W at 6 mph, which is just enough to put a little wrinkle on the surface. It's poor, and you'd be lucky to find a rideable wave. The water is a staggering 76°, which is 8° warmer than usual – that's very unusual, feels like a bath.

The pattern just doesn't let up. Every single day in the first week is a washout. August 6th through August 11th, you're looking at the same story: 1 ft to 2 ft of weak, short-period windswell or long-period leftovers that don't have the height to do anything. The wind is light, but it's always cross or cross-onshore, keeping everything messy and small. The combined energy figures are all below 200, with many days stuck under 100. It's a total grind.

We do see a slight bump in the long-period energy on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 12th, with a 2-ft, 17-second SW swell and a combined energy of 285 (moderate energy). The wind is a light cross-shore, but the whole forecast is still described as "marginal." It's a long period, which is a groundswell, and at a point break like this, it might actually line up okay, but 2 ft is still tiny. Then, on Thursday afternoon, August 13th, we get the biggest energy reading of the whole run – 367 (moderate energy) – with a 3-ft, 16-second SW swell. But again, the wind is a gentle cross-onshore at 9 mph, which ruins it. The report says "poor surf conditions." It's a real kick in the teeth.

After that, it goes completely dead for a stretch. August 14th drops to zero energy. August 15th has a tiny 1-ft WNW windswell with a 3-second period – that's total junk. The wind is offshore on the morning of the 15th, but with a 3-second period, there's no wave to hold up. The middle of the second week is a desert.

The most promising window, if you can call it that, is Tuesday morning, August 18th. The wind finally goes light cross-offshore from the SW at 9 mph, which is the cleanest wind we see all month. The swell is only 2 ft from the WNW with a 5-second period, and the energy is low at 21. It's tiny, and the period is short, so it'll be a crumbly little wave. But it's described as "clean," which is the best we get. It's still a beginner-level wave, so if you're learning to pop up, this might be your only real chance.

There's a final little pulse on Friday, August 21st, with a 3-ft, 7-second WNW swell and light cross-shore winds. The combined energy is 84, still weak. It's a bit more size, but the period is short, so it'll be a bit of a mess.

Bottom line: there's no standout session here. The best on offer is that Tuesday morning, August 18th, for the clean conditions, or the Thursday afternoon, August 13th, for the biggest (but messy) energy. The crowds at La Jolla Cove are listed as "sometimes," so you might have a few others out trying to scratch for the same scraps. For a beginner, the tiny sizes are safe, but for anyone else, it's a frustrating forecast. The setup is so small and weak that it's honestly more interesting for a longboard or a SUP than a shortboard. If you're a kite surfer, you might see the light cross-onshore winds and small, choppy waves as a chance to play, but for paddle surfing, it's a tough two weeks.

Keep your eyes on the forecasts, though. It rarely stays this flat for this long.

Rusty.

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