Leffingwell Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, let's get real about Leffingwell Landing for the next couple of weeks. The charts are looking grim, and there isn't a single day I'd circle on the calendar as a guaranteed good time. The wind is the main villain here, and it's ruining what could be some decent swell.

The closest we get to a decent window is Saturday, August 15th, in the morning. There's a long-period groundswell from the SSW pushing in at 3 ft with a 16-second period. The combined swell energy is moderate at 570. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the SW at 6 mph, which will put a bit of texture on the face. The water temperature is 64°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Still, the report calls it marginal, so don't get your hopes up. It's a window for the committed, but it's not going to be pretty.

After that, it's a long, ugly stretch. From Saturday afternoon all the way through to Friday, August 28th, conditions are consistently poor. The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, mostly from the WNW, with speeds picking up to 9-16 mph through the afternoons, churning the ocean into a mess. Swell sizes are small, mostly around 3 ft to 4 ft, with a mix of short-period windswell and longer-period SSW groundswell that never seems to line up right. The combined energy fluctuates between weak and moderate, but it doesn't matter because the wind ruins everything.

There's a brief moment on Tuesday, August 18th, in the afternoon when the swell bumps up to 6 ft, but it's from the WNW with a terrible period of just 7 seconds and a strong 16 mph cross-onshore wind. That's not surf; that's a washing machine for experts only, and even they'll be fighting it.

We finally see a shift on Saturday, August 29th, with a new SSW groundswell filling in. Saturday morning has a 2 ft swell with a very long period of 18 seconds, and a combined swell energy of 817 (strong). But the wind is still a moderate cross-onshore at 12 mph, so it's messy. That afternoon, the swell jumps to 7 ft from the WNW, but with a 7-second period and strong 16 mph wind, it's again only for the brave and skilled. The energy is very strong (991), but that's all wind and chop.

Sunday, August 30th, offers the last glimmer. The wind finally goes onshore, but it's lighter, from the W at 6 mph in the morning. The swell is a cleaner 4 ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, giving us strong energy (787). It's still rated as marginal, but that morning window with lighter wind and a long-period groundswell might be the least ugly option in the whole two weeks. It's not a standout, but it's the closest we get.

Honestly, this is a tough outlook. The lack of consistent clean conditions makes it a period to either wait it out or check other spots. But if you're locked into Leffingwell Landing, keep an eye on the mornings of August 15th and especially August 30th. That's your best bet, and it's not a great one.

Rusty

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