Linda Mar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, switching over to feet and miles for you. I’ve been staring at the charts for this local stretch, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. The first week is mostly a write-off with messy, small waves, but there’s a solid window of clean surf later on that’s worth setting your alarm for.

The overall pattern starts with a lot of weak, short-period energy and wonky winds. The swell builds through the first weekend, but it comes with a lot of cross-onshore chop, making it a battle. Then, just after the second week kicks in, the wind finally plays nice and we get a few days of proper, lined-up swell.

Let’s break it down. We don’t have much to work with until Tuesday the 11th of August. That’s a long gap of just under a week with nothing but marginal or poor conditions.

Linda Mar is the only spot on the radar. It’s a fairly consistent beginner-friendly beach break, exposed to the NW swell window. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

From Tuesday the 4th right through to Monday the 11th, it’s a struggle. Most days have small, weak swell—around 2 ft to 5 ft—with cross or cross-onshore winds. The combined swell energy is mostly weak to moderate (values like 97 to 383), meaning there’s just not much push. The waves are choppy and messy. Thursday the 8th has a little bump to 5 ft, but the period is a short 7 seconds and the wind is onshore, so it’s poor.

Sunday the 9th sees a bigger jump in size—7 ft to 7 ft from the NW—but the wind is cross-onshore and moderate, making it a choppy mess. The energy is strong (585 to 784), but with the wind state, it’s not for paddling. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The Standout Window: Tuesday 11th August to Thursday 13th August

This is the real deal. Starting Tuesday morning the 11th, the stars align. We’ve got a solid 8 ft swell from the NW, with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind turns clean and cross-offshore from the SSW. The combined swell energy is very strong (875). The waves will be clean, with good shape. This is the best on offer.

Wednesday morning the 12th is nearly as good—7 ft from the WNW, 9 seconds, and again a clean cross-offshore breeze. Very strong energy (932). Thursday morning the 13th continues the run with a slightly smaller but still very clean 6 ft from the WNW at 10 seconds, with cross-off winds. The energy is still strong (679).

These three mornings are the clear standouts. The swell is in the 6 ft to 8 ft range, which is a bit big for beginners but great for intermediates and up. The wind will deliver glassy or near-glassy conditions.

After Thursday the 13th, the quality drops off. Friday morning the 14th is still clean but smaller at 4 ft, and then the wind swings back onshore for the weekend. The second week (from the 15th onward) looks weaker and wind-affected again, with long-period but small swell and poor conditions. Nothing to get excited about.

So, to sum it up: wait out the first week of small, choppy junk. The clean, strong swells hit on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings of the second week (11th, 12th, 13th of August). That’s your window.

Rusty.

Read more