La Zenia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gutted, folks. I've scanned the models up and down for the next 16 days and the honest truth is, there's just nothing doing. The finder has come back empty for the whole window, and that's a rare thing around here. We're looking at a proper flat spell that's going to stretch on for a while, so if you're Jonesing for a wave, maybe dust off the skateboard or the surfskate, 'cause the ocean is going to be taking a nap.

It's not all doom and gloom though. The water is what really stands out. On Sunday the 16th, we're looking at a water temp of 84.9° at La Zenia, which is a massive 7.4° warmer than normal for this time of year. That's not just a little bump, that's a full-on heatwave in the ocean. You'll be surfing in boardies or a springsuit at the most, that's for sure.

The whole stretch is showing the same story: tiny, short-period swell mixing with mostly onshore or cross-shore breezes, making for choppy, messy, and pretty much unrideable conditions. There are a couple of mornings where the wind goes light and offshore – like the 20th, the 24th, and the 28th – and it might look clean, but the swell is just too weak to do anything with. We're talking ankle-biters, not surf. The energy is almost non-existent, with readings mostly in the single digits and low teens (like 3, 4, and 11).

The only time the ocean even tries to wake up is right at the end of the run. On Sunday the 30th, we finally see a bit of a pulse. The morning has a 4.3ft east swell with a period of 6 seconds, and the wind is light offshore, making it clean. The energy reading jumps up to 127 (moderate). It's still not going to be epic, and the short period means it'll be a bit crumbly, but it's the best we've got. The afternoon sees it bump up to 5.6ft, but the wind swings onshore and it gets messy. Then on Monday the 31st, the morning has similar 4.3ft waves, clean, but it's still just a shadow of what this place can do. La Zenia is an inconsistent reef that needs a solid east or southeast swell to light up, and while this window is mostly flat, the signals for the very end are promising, even if it's a long way out and could change.

Essentially, for the first two weeks, don't bother. It's the kind of flat that has you checking the forecast more out of habit than hope. But those final days of August are showing a glimmer, a real trend of more energy, so keep the faith. The ocean will come back to life eventually.

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