Little Rincon Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—if you’re looking at Little Rincon over the next couple of weeks, you’re going to need a whole lot of patience. The board’s showing a long, flat stretch for a while, and honestly, it’s a bit of a tough watch for anyone jonesing for a wave.

The first few days, we’re looking at tiny, weak surf. We’re talking ankle-biters in the 0.7ft to 1ft range, with the swell energy pretty weak, sitting around 89 to 142. The wind is mostly light and cross-onshore, which isn't doing us any favors. It’s going to be a glassy, lumpy mess at best. The water is running a very unusual 70°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing that’s firing. This first stretch is a real test of faith, with nothing rideable on offer through the 9th and into the start of the week.

The surf stays critically small through the middle of the period, but the energy does start to build a little. By the 14th and 15th, we see the swell energy climb into the 163 to 234 range, but the wave height is still stuck at a meager 1ft to 2ft. It’s more motion in the water, but still not enough to push a surfer along. The wind remains light and onshore-ish, so it’s not going to be clean either. This is the kind of window where you’re better off doing anything else. The long period stuff, 15-18 seconds, is showing, but with no height behind it, it’s just a tease.

Then, we hit a proper dry spell. From the 17th through the 23rd, the swell direction swings to the west with short, weak periods of 9 seconds. The height barely cracks 3ft on the 23rd, but that short period is just not going to produce anything with any punch at a reef like this. The energy numbers, 117 to 197, are moderate, but it’s all mush. If the wind was offshore it might be a different story, but it’s mostly on or cross-on. For anyone thinking about it, this setup looks far more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

The only glimmer of hope is right at the end of the window. On the 24th, we see the swell switch back to the southwest with a long, 18-second period. The energy is back to a moderate 142, and the height is a tiny 1ft. It’s still small, but that longer period groundswell is the kind of pulse that could start to wake the reef up. It's a promise of things to come, but it’s a promise for the following week, not this one.

Honestly, the standout here is that there are no standouts. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for decent waves at Little Rincon. The consistency is poor, and the forecast doesn't offer a single window with clean conditions and rideable swell. It’s a blank run, plain and simple. Sometimes that’s just the way it goes. The ocean will turn back on, but it’s not going to be in this forecast period.

Keep the board waxed and the patience high.

Rusty.

Read more