Leffingwell Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what this stretch has in store for us.

Honestly, the outlook for Leffingwell Landing over the next 16 days is a tough one. This is a reef break that’s very consistent and exposed to the swell, but the wind is just not playing ball. For the first week and a half, the wind is hammering it from the WNW, which is cross-onshore, and it's a constant battle. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

We kick off on Sunday, the 23rd of August, with a bit of a dud. The morning has a 5ft NW swell, but at a short 7 seconds, and the wind is onshore. The combined energy is weak (320), and it's just not worth paddling out. The afternoon drops to a tiny 1ft, and the rest of that week is a write-off. Monday through to Thursday the 27th are all “poor surf conditions” with that cross-onshore wind. The swell bumps up, with a 7ft WNW swell on the Thursday afternoon, but the wind is 15 mph and it’s choppy. The combined energy hits moderate (488), but it's messy.

The second week starts to look a little more promising. Friday the 28th of August still has that cross-onshore wind, but the combined energy is climbing—945 for the afternoon. It’s still poor, though. The weekend of the 29th and 30th sees the swell size jump. Saturday afternoon has an 8ft WNW swell and strong energy (1389), but it’s still cross-onshore and choppy. At that size, it’s only for experts, and with the wind, it’s honestly more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle one.

The real glimmer of hope comes at the very end. The first week of September, the mornings of the 4th and 5th, suddenly the wind switches. The light S and SSW breezes create a cross or cross-onshore flow, but it's light enough. The swell is a solid 4ft from the SSW, with a long period of 16 to 18 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and it’s a reef break, so it should handle the longer period better than a beach. The combined energy is strong (1098-1358). It’s still a “marginal” call, but it’s the only window that looks even close to clean. The 5th of September morning could be the best of the lot, with a slight air wind and a long period swell.

So, the pick is a tough one, but I’d say the Saturday morning, September 5th, is your best bet. If you can wait, it’s the only time the wind looks like it might give you a break. The 4ft SSW swell at 16 seconds and light wind could produce some clean, long lines at this reef. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s the standout in a very long, quiet run.

Rusty.

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