Laguna Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s coming for Laguna Beach over the next couple of weeks. It’s a rough start, I’ll tell you that straight up. There’s a long gap with almost nothing to ride, but there’s a flash of hope right at the back end.

From the get-go on Tuesday the 14th, it’s pretty sad. Tiny, weak 2ft swell from the SSW with a 12-second period, but the wind is a cross-onshore westerly at 9 mph, making it choppy. The wave energy is weak (184). That same story runs through Wednesday, Thursday, and into the weekend. Swells stay around 1ft to 2ft, periods are all over the place, and the wind is either cross-onshore or onshore. The water temp is sitting at 69°, a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about it.

By Saturday the 18th, we get a slight bump – 2ft from the SW with a nice long 18-second period, and light winds. But the reports are still calling it marginal. The combined energy (273) stays in the moderate range. Not enough to get excited about.

Sunday the 19th afternoon sees the swell nudge up to 3ft, again from the SW with a 17-second period, and we get a short period of light onshore wind. The combined energy hits 375 – moderate. Still, the surf quality is poor.

Monday the 20th is much the same, 2ft from the SW, light winds but no clean shape. The energy bumps to 337 in the afternoon. Not enough to call it.

Now, here’s where it gets a bit interesting. Tuesday the 21st brings a 3ft swell from the SSW, period around 15-16 seconds, with light winds. The combined energy jumps to 406 in the morning and 362 in the afternoon. That’s moderate-to-strong energy showing up. But right now it’s still flagged as marginal. Not a standout, but the first hint of something.

Wednesday the 22nd holds similar 3ft SSW swell and light wind, but the wind is more cross-onshore. The energy stays up around 390. Still, the surf quality is poor. This pattern runs through Thursday and Friday.

Then we finally get a proper spike. On Saturday the 25th of July, we see a jump. The morning starts with 2ft from the SSW at a long 21 seconds, energy at 314. But the afternoon gets a pulse: 5ft from the SSW with a shorter 13-second period. The combined energy goes ballistic to 1064 – that’s strong, very strong wave energy. The wind is light and cross-onshore from the west at 6 mph. This is the biggest swell of the whole outlook. It’s getting up there – 5ft is too much for beginners, but for intermediates and above, this is the day. The caveat: it’s a beach break, and with that shorter period, it could be a bit lumpy, but the energy is undeniable. It’s labelled as marginal, but this is your best shot across the entire 16 days.

Sunday the 26th morning follows with 3ft from the SSW, a long 19-second period, and strong energy at 1009. Light cross-onshore wind from the SW. Another promising window. The afternoon, though, gets choppy with a moderate cross-onshore wind.

Monday the 27th sees another 3ft SW swell with 18-second period, energy of 736, and light onshore wind in the morning, but it turns messy again.

Beyond that, Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th fade back to 2ft-3ft, with poor conditions and moderate cross-onshore winds taking over. The energy drops right back down.

So here’s the summary. The first week-plus is basically a dead zone with tiny, poor-quality surf. Saturday the 25th of July stands out as the best on offer – that 5ft pulse with strong energy and light winds is the highlight. Sunday morning the 26th is a decent follow-up. If you’re keen, keep an eye on those two days. Everything else is just watching and waiting.

Stay patient, keep the board waxed, and don’t force it. Conditions like this don’t last forever.

Rusty.

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