La Yerbabuena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mates, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ for La Yerbabuena over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest – it’s a rough stretch. The start is nearly flat, and there’s a long gap of days with nothing worth paddling for. We’re looking at almost a week and a half where the ocean is just not playing ball. The first real sign of life doesn’t show up until Monday, September 7th, and even then it’s barely a ripple.

Let’s get into it. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th are a dead loss. Tiny swell around 0.7ft to 1ft out of the WNW, with a fresh easterly breeze making it cross-off, but there’s no guts. The combined energy reading is a whisper (10). Just poor surf.

Come Monday morning, September 7th, we finally see a pulse. The swell bumps to 1ft, still from the WNW, but the period stretches out to 14 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, which is a good sign for a point like La Yerbabuena. The energy is still modest (85). The wind is a gentle cross-off in the morning, then by Monday afternoon it goes glassy – dead calm, which is a beautiful thing. The swell ticks up to 2ft and the energy climbs to 124. It’s not big, but it’s clean and rideable. If you’re desperate for a paddle, this is the best it’s gonna get for the whole run. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th are a messy letdown. The wind swings onshore and cross-on, and the period drops to a short, weak 6 seconds on Wednesday. The combined energy tanks. Just ugly.

There’s a long dry spell from Thursday the 10th all the way through Monday the 14th. Swell drops to 0.3ft to 1ft, and while the winds are often clean cross-off, there’s no power. The energy readings are in the single digits and low double digits. It’s a flat spell, and for this area, that’s a bit of a normal occurrence, but it still stings.

We get another small pulse on Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th. Swell height comes back to 3ft from the WNW, but the period is a short, weak 5 to 6 seconds. The energy readings are in the 60s and 80s – still low. The morning winds are clean cross-off, so it’s surfable but very ordinary. The waves will be small and weak.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums for the rest of the forecast. From Thursday the 17th onward, the swell drops to 0.7ft to 2ft, and the wind howls from the east at 15 to 25 mph. The combined energy is pathetic. Clean, but flat.

The Standout:

If you’ve got to pick one window, it’s Monday, September 7th, specifically the afternoon. La Yerbabuena (point/river) usually needs a good SW groundswell, but this WNW pulse with a long 13-second period and glassy conditions will be the cleanest, most fun little waves of the entire outlook. The swell is tiny (2ft), so it’s perfect for beginners and longboarders. It’s inconsistent, so bring your patience, but when a set rolls in, it’ll be worth it. Combined energy is moderate (124).

Stay hopeful, but know that the next 16 days are mostly about waiting for the next real swell. This spot fires when the ocean decides to send it, and right now, she’s napping.

Rusty.

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