La Jolla Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming down the line for La Jolla Cove.

First up, the water is sitting at 75°F right now, which is a whopping 8°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s wild – you’re basically surfing in a bath. Don’t expect that to hang around forever, but for now, it’s a real treat.

Honestly, the next week and a half is pretty grim. We’ve got a long dry spell starting with Wednesday the 29th of July. The swell is tiny, barely 2ft, and it’s coming from the WNW with a short period of just 7 seconds. The combined wave energy is a weak 51, and it’s cross-on shore. That’s a recipe for messy, choppy, and unrideable conditions. Thursday and Friday are more of the same – small, weak, onshore junk. Saturday the 1st of August shows a tiny bump in energy to 104, but the swell is still only 3ft and the wind is cross-shore, so it’s still not worth paddling out for.

Sunday the 2nd of August is the first time we see a bit of a pulse. The swell stays around 3ft from the W, but the period stretches to 8 seconds and the wind switches to a light cross-offshore. That cleans things up nicely, and the energy jumps to 213. It’s still not big, but it’s the first window of clean, surfable waves. Monday the 3rd carries similar energy at 279, with light cross-shore winds and the same 3ft swell from the WNW. It’s marginal, but if you’re itching for a paddle, these are the best early options.

Then we hit a weird spot on Tuesday the 4th of August. The swell drops to 2ft, but the period stretches to 15 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The energy is still moderate at 167, but the wind is cross-shore and the waves are tiny. For a reef and point break like La Jolla Cove, a long period swell like that could offer some clean lines if the size was there, but it’s just too small to get excited about.

The rest of the first week into the second week stays in the doldrums. Wednesday the 5th through to Monday the 10th of August is all tiny, weak, and mostly cross-on or cross-shore. The energy drops as low as 8 on the 7th of August. There’s a little spike on Monday the 10th of August afternoon where a 2ft swell from the SW with a 20-second period delivers 205 energy, but it’s cross-on shore and the size is laughable. The long period means it’ll be walled up and straight at a beach break, but this is a point and reef, so it might actually have some shape – if it had any height.

The real stand-out, and the only one I’d call a true highlight, is what’s brewing for the second week. Looking at Tuesday the 11th of August afternoon, there’s a sudden jump. The swell hits 3ft from the SW, but the period is a massive 18 seconds, and the combined energy rockets to 540 – that’s strong wave energy. The problem? The wind is a gentle cross-on shore from the W. That’s going to mess up the surface. It’s a powerful groundswell, but the conditions are going to be a bit bumpy. Still, for a reef and point setup, that long period energy will wrap in nicely and offer some long, clean lines if you can handle the chop. This is the best on offer, but it’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on the wind.

The next day, Wednesday the 12th of August, the energy drops back to 76. Then Thursday the 13th of August shows another window with 3ft swell from the SW, a 16-second period, and energy of 391. The wind is gentle cross-shore, which is okay, but it’s not glassy. The long period will again favor the point and reef, but the size is small and the conditions are just “marginal.”

Overall, La Jolla Cove is in a flat spell. The first ten days are mostly a write-off. Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd of August are your best early bets for clean, rideable waves. The real standout window is Tuesday the 11th of August afternoon, with a strong pulse of long-period energy, but it’s a long way out and the wind is a concern. If that cleans up, it could be the best of the run. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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