Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Long Beach.

First up, the water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The wait for decent waves is a bit of a drag, but once we get into Friday the 7th of August, things start to look up. That’s the first real standout. We’ve got a solid 12ft SW groundswell rolling in with a long 14-second period – that’s real energy (5090) – and clean conditions with a light ESE cross-offshore breeze. This is proper surf for experienced crew only, as it’s pushing past the 8ft mark. The sets will have some punch and the lines will be clean, but keep your wits about you.

The real highlight, though, is Friday afternoon. The swell holds at 12ft from the SW, the period stretches to 15 seconds, and the wind swings light offshore from the south. That’s a recipe for some of the best waves we’ll see all week. The wave energy is pumping (5454), and the offshore wind is going to groom those faces beautifully. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

Saturday morning the 8th drops a bit in size to 8ft SW, but it’s still clean with a light cross-off breeze. Good for a wider range of surfers, but still on the bigger side. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a cross-onshore wind, so stick to the morning.

Now, Sunday the 9th is a different story. The swell is still big (10-13ft), but the wind cranks up to a strong offshore. That might sound good, but when it’s that strong it makes paddling a battle. The scores are low for a reason – it’s more of a survival session than a fun one.

Early the next week, Monday and Tuesday the 10th and 11th, the swell backs off. Monday is a write-off with strong cross-off winds and weaker energy. Tuesday morning is small and cross-on, but Tuesday afternoon shows a little promise with 4ft SSW swell and clean conditions. It’s small, but it’ll be rideable.

The second week has some interesting bits. Wednesday the 12th afternoon brings a 6ft SW groundswell with a very long 17-second period and gentle offshore wind. The energy is decent (2402), and the conditions will be clean, but that long period might make it a bit tricky at a sandbar setup – it’ll be better if you can find a defined bank. Thursday the 13th afternoon is also worth a look with 7ft WSW swell and clean offshore wind. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th mornings are both small (5-6ft) but glassy – perfect for a longboard or a fun log.

The very end of the outlook, around the 19th and 20th, shows a bit of a pulse again with 7-8ft WSW swell, but the wind is more cross-off and the conditions are just marginal. Nothing to get too excited about.

All in all, Friday the 7th is the absolute standout. The rest of the period has some windows of fun, but that Friday is the one you don’t want to miss.

Rusty.

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