La Yerbabuena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The outlook for the next couple of weeks is pretty quiet, to be honest. We’ve got a lot of small, weak swell and the wind isn’t really playing ball most of the time.

Start of the forecast: Monday 28th October

We’ve got a bit of a gap to start because there’s just nothing worthwhile on offer. The first few days are all showing tiny, weak swell – barely a ripple – and the wind is mostly a fresh to strong cross-offshore breeze, which kills any real potential. A small, short-period west swell is trying to show up but it’s too small and the energy is really low, like under 30 (26). So, just a waiting game.

It’s not until Friday 31st July that we see a little glimmer. Friday morning is glassy at La Yerbabuena (United States), with a light easterly of 3 mph, so the surface will be nice and clean. The swell is tiny though, just 1 ft from the WNW with a short period of 6 seconds and combined energy still only 21. You could probably find a knee-high ripple if you’re desperate, but it’s more of a paddle than a surf.

Through the first week of August, the story doesn't change much. We get a bit more in the water from Monday 3rd August, with a west-northwest swell building to 3 ft (68 energy) on the Monday morning, but the wind swings onshore from the SSW, so it’ll be messy. By Wednesday morning 5th August, we get a brief window where it’s glassy again early, with a 2 ft west-northwest swell and moderate energy (68). The report even calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions”. That’s the best we’ve seen, but it’s still only a 1/10 type of day.

Now, the one standout in the whole run:
Saturday 8th August early morning. La Yerbabuena sees a 3 ft west-northwest swell (90 energy) with a light east-southeast cross-offshore wind at 6 mph. That’s the biggest, cleanest wave in the whole period. The swell direction (WNW) is not exactly the optimum SW, but at this size and with that offshore flow, the point should have some clean, rideable lines. It’s inconsistent though – this break doesn’t always fire – and on a day like this, you might be sharing it with a few others (crowds are often around). Still, if there’s one day to try, that’s it.

After that, we get a bump in energy through Monday 10th August with a 4 ft west-northwest swell (186 energy), but the wind is onshore and the quality is poor. The second week is slim pickings, with small, choppy conditions and no real standouts.

So, to sum up: it’s a lean run. Don’t expect much until that Saturday morning, and even then, keep your expectations tempered. It’s a quiet time for the spot.

Rusty.

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