Leffingwell Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up in our little corner of the coast.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions ahead, with the first real glimmer of hope not showing up until the very end of the run. The main issue is that onshore wind is just relentless, chopping up what little swell we have. For the most part, the combined wave energy is weak to moderate, with values like 255 and 356, nothing that’ll get your heart pumping.

We’re looking at Leffingwell Landing (reef) as the only spot on the radar, and it’s a tough watch. The water temperature is sitting at 60°, which is a touch cooler than average for this time of year, but not a huge shock.

From Saturday the 22nd of August right through to the end of the month, it’s a no-go. The wind is cross-onshore most days, with speeds from 9 mph up to 16 mph, and the swell is tiny – mostly 2 ft to 2 ft, with a few pulses up to 5 ft that are just windswell with a short period of 6 seconds. It’s choppy, messy, and the score is a flat zero. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Thursday the 27th where the swell bumps up to 6 ft from the NW, and the combined energy hits 641, but that cross-onshore wind ruins it. The note says “marginal” at best, and I’d say that’s generous.

The first week of September doesn’t bring much relief. Mornings are a little cleaner, but still cross-onshore. The swell size starts to pick up, with Thursday the 3rd seeing 7 ft from the WNW, but the wind is howling at 19 mph, making it a lumpy mess. The combined energy gets up to 962 and even 1346, but it’s all for nothing with that wind. Honestly, for a beach-and-reef setup like this, that kind of wind and chop is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Then, finally, we get a standout. Saturday the 5th of September is where it’s at. The morning is looking promising with a light cross-shore wind from the south at just 3 mph, and a clean 4 ft SSW swell with a nice long period of 17 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 1206 – that’s moderate to strong. But the real winner is the afternoon. Glassy conditions, wind from the WSW at 3 mph, with a 4 ft SSW swell and a 16-second period. The energy is 1224. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The swell direction (SSW) is a bit off the optimum for this spot, which is WNW, but the quality of the waves and the glassy conditions will make up for it. Just be aware, crowds are possible here at times. This is the one to circle on your calendar.

Sunday the 6th of September sees a return to onshore wind, with a 8 ft WNW swell in the afternoon, but the period drops to 8 seconds and the wind is on it, so it’ll be a messy one.

So, to sum it up: a long, dry spell of poor conditions, but a real gem on the 5th of September afternoon. Don’t hold your breath for the rest.

Rusty.

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