Leffingwell Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut it straight: this 16-day window for Leffingwell Landing is a grim one. The forecast is packed with poor surf conditions and marginal calls, and the wind is almost always cross-onshore, leaving the surface choppy and messy. The water temp is 63°F, which is less than a degree and a half warmer than the long-term average for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary. There’s a long stretch of days where you’re better off staying home, with no real standout until maybe the very end.

The best we’ve got is a long-shot, uncertain possibility. The overall swell energy is moderate, with values mostly in the 400–800 range. The first little flicker of hope comes Friday morning, August 14th, but it’s called "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions" with a 0.7m (2 ft), 15-second SW groundswell and a light offshore WNW wind. The window is clean, but the wave height is tiny and the tide is a problem. The only period that even hints at being a standout is the afternoon of Saturday, August 29th. That afternoon sees a 1.0m (3 ft), 16-second SSW swell, with a combined energy of 930 (moderate wave energy) and moderate cross-onshore WNW wind. The wind isn’t ideal, but it’s the biggest energy pulse of the whole run. The issue is the swell direction is SSW, which is a bit off the optimum WNW for Leffingwell Landing, a very consistent advanced reef break. The long period will help shape, and the reef will handle it better than a beach, but crowds are sometimes a factor, so expect company.

Honestly, this is a tough one. From the 14th right through the 28th, it’s a wall of "poor" or "marginal" with cross-onshore wind ruining any chance of clean surf. If you’re really keen, the early morning of the 14th has clean light wind, but you’ll be scraping for 2 ft. The 29th is the only one that might be worth a look, but it’s ten days out, so that’s a long-range maybe. Between now and then, there’s a gap of over two weeks of essentially no recommendations. Leffingwell Landing is very consistent, but this stretch is a big exception.

For the advanced crew, the 1.8m (6 ft) WNW swell on Tuesday afternoon, August 18th, has a short period of 7 seconds, so it’ll be lumpy and weak, plus the wind is cross-onshore. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle-surfing one. The same goes for the 1.7m (6 ft) WNW on the 24th—short period, onshore-ish wind, and poor conditions.

So, bottom line: the only faint glimmer is the 29th afternoon. Mark it as a hopeful maybe, but don’t get your hopes up. The rest of the time, save your energy and wait for a better forecast.

Rusty.

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