Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for Long Beach.

This is a bit of a tough stretch, honestly. The swell will be around, and there are some solid pulses, but the wind is going to be the spoiler for most of it. We’ve got wave energy from moderate all the way up to very strong (1530 to 4498 range) but the combo of strong cross-off and onshore winds makes most of it a write-off for clean surfing. The best windows are going to be later on, around the 19th and into the following week, when the breeze finally takes a break.

Alright, starting now. Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th are a no-go. You’ve got a strong 10 ft swell from the SE with a short period (7 seconds) on Friday, but it’s windy with a 31 mph cross-off, so the surf is poor. Saturday pumps up with a bigger 8 ft SW groundswell (16-second period) and combined energy hitting 4498, but that strong 28 mph cross-off wind just ruins it.

Sunday the 13th through to the 18th is a real grind. Swell sizes stay between 3 ft and 8 ft, mostly from the SW, with good period – 12 to 16 seconds – so there’s plenty of energy. But the wind is relentless: fresh to strong breezes from the SE or NNW, mostly cross-off. The surf is consistently scored as marginal or poor. Not worth paddling out.

Now, here’s where we get a bit of hope. Saturday the 19th looks like the first real standout. In the morning, the wind drops right out to 3 mph from the E with a clean cross-off, and you’ve got a nice 7 ft SW swell (13 seconds, moderate energy of 1619). The afternoon gets even better – the wind swings SSE at 9 mph, turning offshore, with a 6 ft SW swell. The surf here is expected to be very good. Keep in mind, Long Beach can get crowded, so expect some company.

Then Monday the 21st is possibly the pick of the whole run. Morning brings glassy conditions with the wind at 3 mph from the SE and a solid 7 ft WSW swell, 15-second period, giving us a long-period groundswell. Combined energy is 1898 – solid moderate. This is going to be clean as a whistle and excellent for a confident intermediate surfer. The afternoon stays clean with a light offshore, 7 ft WSW swell.

Tuesday the 22nd is another frustrating day – the wind turns onshore from the N at 22 mph, and while there’s a 7 ft NW swell, the short 7-second period and messy wind make it ugly.

The end of the forecast period starts to look promising again. Friday the 25th has a good morning with 7 ft SW swell, 12-second period, and a gentle 9 mph cross-off. By the afternoon, the wind goes offshore at 9 mph from the SSE, giving nice clean 7 ft sets. Expect some quality waves. Finally, Saturday the 26th looks sweet: glassy in the morning with light wind from the WSW, 5 ft SW swell, and the afternoon cleans up with a 6 ft SW swell and clean conditions.

Water temp at the start of this period is sitting at 59°, which is about 1° cooler than average – nothing wild, just a touch crisp for the time of year.

That’s the story. A lot of wind to push through, but there are a couple of premium sessions waiting for you around the 19th and 21st, and again on the 25th. Stay patient.

– Rusty

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