Leffingwell Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu at Leffingwell Landing.

Right off the bat, this is a reef setup that needs a very specific combination to really fire – it’s an advanced wave, not for the faint of heart, and it tends to be very consistent. The water temperature is sitting about 57°, which is a bit colder than you’d expect for this time of year, so a good 4/3 is your friend.

Looking at the first real swell window, Thursday afternoon (July 9th) is pretty much a write-off. We’ve got a 3ft SSW groundswell with a long 16-second period, but a cross-on wind from the WNW at 15 mph is just going to chop it up and make it a mess. The combined energy is moderate (936), but the conditions are poor. Don’t bother.

We skip straight to Friday morning (July 10th). The swell jumps up to 8ft from the NW, but the period is short (8 seconds) and it’s cross-on again. At this size, that’s already too much push for a learner, and with the wind, it’s going to be a battle. The afternoon looks worse as the wind picks up.

Now, Saturday morning (July 11th) is where the tone shifts. The swell drops to 3ft from the SSW, but the period is a beautiful 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind goes glassy, and the water is smooth. The combined energy is moderate (436). This is the standout for the first week. It’s small, but it’s clean. For a reef, that long period will draw nice lines, and you’ll have the place to yourself since crowds are only “sometimes” an issue. The wind is perfect, and that’s a rare treat at this break. Saturday afternoon stays clean with an offshore wind, though the tide might be a factor.

Sunday (July 12th) through Tuesday (July 14th) is a bit of a mixed bag. The swell stays around the 3ft mark, but the wind starts to swing cross-on or onshore, making it less than ideal. Tuesday afternoon sees a 5ft WNW swell, but it’s a short period and onshore – lumpy, sloppy, and not worth the paddle.

Wednesday (July 15th) is a write-off with strong cross-on winds and a short, choppy swell.

Here’s the other main event: Thursday morning (July 16th). The swell is 5ft from the WNW, period 10 seconds, and the wind goes glassy again. The combined energy is moderate (574). That’s a clean, solid head-high wave for the experts. The forecast calls for very good surf conditions. This is the second true standout. After that, the swell fades into the weekend with small, clean, but marginal conditions.

The second week (from July 17th onward) is really quiet. The swell drops to 2ft to 3ft, and while the period is often very long (16-18 seconds), the energy is moderate and the wind is mostly onshore or cross. Sunday morning (July 19th) could be a glassy, small-wave session if you’re desperate. The last real pulse of interest is Thursday morning (July 23rd), with a 4ft WNW swell and a 11-second period, but the wind is just a little cross-on. The energy is moderate but high (982), so it’s got some push, but the wind is a question mark.

Overall: The best windows are Saturday morning, July 11th, and Thursday morning, July 16th. Both have glassy conditions and decent groundswell. The rest of the 16 days is mostly marginal or poor. Get out there when the wind is off.

Rusty.

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