Latigo Canyon Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at the coming weeks for our little slice of coast.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: it’s a lean run. We’ve got a long, quiet stretch ahead with only tiny, gutless waves and tricky winds. Nothing is pumping, but there are a few windows where you can get a wet suit on and have some fun, if you’re patient. The waves are small, so this is strictly for logs and fish, and definitely not for beginners if paddling out in weak swell feels frustrating.

The best of a flat period looks to be at Latigo Canyon (point). It’s an exposed point, so it catches whatever is out there, but it is *inconsistent* so you’ll be waiting between sets.

Let’s kick off with Sunday the 16th of August. The morning shows a small 3 ft SSW groundswell, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That long period gives the waves shape and push, but it’s not much height. The combined swell energy is moderate at 404. Wind is a light cross-onshore at 6 mph from the SSW, which will put a few bumps on the face. It's not glassy, but it's not blown out either. The water temp is sitting at 72°, which is 7° warmer than usual – that's very unusual, so you’ll be comfortable in a spring suit or even a shorty.

By Monday the 17th of August, it drops a hair. We’re looking at 2-3 ft from the same direction and period, with energy down to 297. The mornings are the only time to consider it, with that light cross-onshore breeze. Afternoons get a moderate cross-shore wind that ruins the surface.

Tuesday the 18th of August sees the swell drop again to 2 ft, weak and marginal. The wind goes light and onshore in the morning, but it’s the best of a bad lot – the wave quality is just not there for a proper session.

We then hit a real dry spell. From Wednesday the 19th of August all the way through to Saturday the 22nd of August, the swell hovers at 1-2 ft with poor conditions. The combined energy falls into double digits (122 to 228), which is weak. It’s not worth paddling out.

There’s a flicker of hope around Sunday the 23rd of August. Swell is still tiny at 1-2 ft, but the period stretches to 18 seconds from the SW, giving the wave a little more life. The afternoon, however, has a moderate cross-shore at 12 mph, tearing it up.

Fast forward a week, and Tuesday the 25th of August could be the standout, but it’s still *small*. The morning has 2 ft from the SW at 16 seconds, with energy climbing back to 379. The wind is light cross-onshore. The afternoon turns cleaner with a moderate cross-offshore breeze (WNW at 12 mph), which is a major positive for wave faces. It’ll be the tidiest, most rideable window of the whole outlook.

Then we drift into more marginal stuff. Saturday the 29th of August shows the biggest swell of the entire forecast at 3 ft from the SSW, 16 seconds, with energy at 474 – moderate but not exciting. The morning has light cross-onshore winds. The afternoon has a gentle cross-shore. It’s still small, and the break is inconsistent, so it’s about finding the right bank and waiting.

From Sunday the 30th of August through to Monday the 31st of August, it fades back to 2-3 ft with light winds, but the surf quality never gets past marginal. The energy drops again.

So, bottom line: there’s no proper swell in the 16-day window. The best on offer is Tuesday morning the 25th of August with that clean afternoon cross-offshore, or maybe the very last day, Saturday the 29th of August, which has the biggest size. Both are small, but for a patient surfer on a longboard, they’re the only real games in town. The rest is a write-off.

Stay tuned. Forecasts change. It can’t stay this flat forever.

- Rusty

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