Leffingwell Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

This is a tough one, I’m not gonna lie. The only spot on the cards for this entire 16-day forecast is Leffingwell Landing, a reef break that’s very consistent, but man, it’s not exactly lining up for us. Right from the start, we’ve got a few days of nothing really worth paddling out for. The first few days look like a write-off, with poor conditions and dodgy tides.

The standout period, if you can call it that, is going to be around Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th of September. We’ll be looking at a clean morning with light offshore winds from the WNW. The swell is hanging around 4 ft to 4 ft, coming from the WNW, with a period around 9 to 10 seconds. That’s a decent groundswell, but it’s not gonna be firing. The energy is moderate, reading around 506 to 626 for the combined swell energy. It’s got that longer period, so the waves will have some shape and power, but it’s not a big set-up. The water is about 61°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, just a touch under the average.

The tricky part is the wind. For most of the week, it’s blowing onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is short and choppy. It’s not until those mid-week mornings that we get a window. The weekend of the 12th and 13th actually sees a spike in size, up to 8 ft to 8 ft, but that’s from a short-period WNW windswell with nasty cross-onshore winds. That’s expert-only territory, and honestly, it looks more like a kitesurfing day than a paddle-surfing day. The waves will be lumpy and messy.

For the best bet, I’d point you to Thursday morning, September 17th. The swell is 4 ft from the WNW, period of 9 seconds, light offshore wind from the west. It’s not a huge day, but it’s the cleanest we’re going to get. The crowd situation at Leffingwell Landing can be a bit of a lottery – sometimes it’s busy, sometimes it’s not. Because it’s a reef, that longer-period swell should wrap in nicely and give you some proper lines. Just keep your expectations in check; it’s a marginal call, but it’s the only real call we’ve got.

Later in the run, around the 19th and 20th of September, we get a slight shift to a longer-period SW groundswell, but it’s small, around 2 ft to 3 ft, and the wind turns cross-shore. It’s not a confidence booster this far out. The long-range stuff is promising, but it’s still a long way off.

So, bottom line: the first week is a bust. The second week has a couple of promising mornings, but nothing that’s going to blow your mind. It’s a waiting game. Stick with the Thursday morning sessions if you’re keen.

Rusty.

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