Linda Mar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ for Linda Mar over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week is a bit of a struggle. Water temps are sitting at 64°F, which is a whopping 5°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s way warmer than normal, so you might not need a full winter suit, which is a bonus.

We start things off on Tuesday, August 25th, and honestly, it’s a rough go. The surf is tiny, around 2ft, with a solid groundswell from the SW packing a 17-second period, but the wind is a problem. Onshore NW winds at 9-12 mph are just messing it up. Combined energy is weak (253). It’s a no-go. This same poor pattern – small swell, crummy winds – continues through the end of the week. Wednesday and Thursday offer a bit more size, with Thursday seeing a 5ft NW swell, but the period is a short and weak 6 seconds, and the onshore winds are still in control. It’s just not worth paddling out for.

The weekend and early next week don’t bring much relief. The swell gets a little bigger, hitting 6ft to 6ft from the NW, but the period stays short, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. The energy is moderate, hitting 396 on Thursday afternoon, but the quality is poor. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

We hit a real dry spell here. There’s basically nothing to ride from August 25th until early September. The gap is a solid week of poor to non-existent surf.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday, September 2nd. The morning looks glassy with a light NW breeze, and there’s a 2ft SW swell with a 17-second period. The energy is moderate (185). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Nothing to get excited about.

Now, the standout period looks like it’s going to be Thursday, September 3rd and Friday, September 4th. Thursday morning is the pick of the bunch. We’ve got glassy conditions with a 2ft SW groundswell, a very long 19-second period. The combined energy jumps to 399, which is a moderate bump. It’s small, but with that long-period groundswell and glassy wind, Linda Mar will be super clean. That long period will make the waves a bit more powerful and organized, with longer lulls between sets, making the paddle out easier. This is one for the longboard or a funboard.

Friday morning isn’t far behind, with a 3ft SW swell and a 16-second period. The energy is strong at 722. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the WSW, which will still leave it decently clean. Saturday and Sunday mornings see a bump in size to 5ft-6ft from the WNW, but the period drops to 8-9 seconds, making it a bit more of a jumbled, short-period windswell. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s rideable, but not as good as the Thursday/Friday window.

Looking further into the second week, Tuesday, September 8th sees a 3ft NW swell with an 11-second period, but onshore winds ruin it. The following Wednesday, September 9th, has a 2ft SW groundswell with a long 18-second period and light cross-shore wind, so it’s worth a look, but it’s still marginal.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The second week starts with a promising, clean, glassy window on Thursday, September 3rd, and Friday, September 4th is pretty good too. The long-period groundswell will be the key. Don’t expect barrels, but for a clean, fun session, that’s your best bet.

Stay stoked.

Rusty

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