Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's break down what the next couple of weeks are looking like.

First off, there's a bit of a wait. The first decent surf shows up on Wednesday the 26th of August. Long Beach is a sandbar break, and it's fairly consistent. The water temp is about 59°, which is roughly 2° cooler than usual for this time of year – so pretty standard, just a bit chilly.

That Wednesday afternoon looks tidy. We've got a clean 4-foot swell rolling in from the WSW with a solid 12-second period. The wind is a cross-off ESE breeze at 9 mph, keeping things clean. The combined energy of all swells directed here is strong, around 1480, so there's plenty of push. It's a good start, but not the standout.

The real star of the show looks like Saturday the 29th of August. Saturday morning starts promising with a clean 5-foot WSW swell, 15-second period, and light offshore winds from the south at 6 mph. Then Saturday afternoon, it gets even better. The swell jumps to 7 feet from the WSW, period at 14 seconds, and the wind picks up to 16 mph from the SSW, but it's offshore. That's a moderate offshore and clean, with wave energy hitting 2252. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The swell is over 7 feet, so it's going to be a bit much for beginners, but for those who know what they're doing, this is the session to aim for. The long period (15 seconds) on the morning means longer gaps between sets, making the paddle out a bit easier, and the offshore wind will hold the faces up nicely.

Sunday the 30th still has some size, with 8-foot swell in the morning, but the wind is onshore from the north, so it'll be messy. The afternoon cleans up with a gentle offshore from the SSW at 9 mph, bringing back clean conditions. The swell energy is still strong at 1662.

Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September are a write-off. The wind goes ugly, and the swell gets too big and messy. By Tuesday the 1st, we're looking at 12 to 13 feet of slop with onshore gales. That's a no-go for surfing – looks more like a kite-surfing setup if you're into that sort of thing.

Things get interesting again on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning brings an 12-foot SW swell with a 13-second period, but the key is the wind: a moderate 16 mph offshore from the SSE. That's clean, powerful, and for experienced surfers only. The wave energy is 3857, so there's serious grunt. This is a solid option if you're an expert, but it's over a week away, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

The rest of the outlook drops off. Thursday the 3rd through to the 10th of September has either too much wind, dropping swell, or poor conditions. There's a small window on the morning of Friday the 4th with an 8-foot SE swell and cross-off winds, but it's marginal. After that, it's a slow fade into small, weak, and choppy surf.

So, to sum it up: the standout is the Saturday the 29th of August, with the afternoon session being the pick of the entire forecast. The Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is also a top-tier option for the experienced crew. The rest of the time, you're either waiting or dealing with messy conditions.

Rusty.

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