Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s look at the next couple of weeks for our stretch of coast. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but hold on to your boardies, because there’s a serious pulse of energy coming through that could be the biggest thing we’ve seen in a while. But the conditions aren’t all lining up perfect, so we gotta pick our moments.

The first few days are a bit of a tease. Thursday (August 27th) and Friday (August 28th) have some rideable swell around `4ft` to `5ft` and mostly clean, glassy or light offshore winds. It’s surfable for sure, but the energy is moderate at best, with combined energy values in the `645` to `846` range. These are not the days to call in sick for. The water temp is `58.5°F`, which is about a degree and a half colder than normal for this time of year, so a good hood is your friend.

The weekend starts to get a bit more interesting. Saturday morning (August 29th) sees the swell bump up to `5.5ft` with a long 15-second period from the WSW, and the energy climbs into the three-digit range (`1303`). It’s clean and looking fun. Sunday morning (August 30th) is when it starts to get serious. We’re looking at `8ft` of WSW swell, with that long period and the energy is pumping at `2173`. Winds are offshore and it’s clean. This is a proper session for experienced surfers, as it’s pushing that size where it might be a bit much for beginners. If you’re confident, this is a standout morning for sure.

Monday (August 31st) backs off a touch, with `6.5ft` and cross-shore winds creating some chop, so it gets messy.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The real deal arrives on Wednesday, September 2nd. The models are showing a massive jump in size and power. We’re talking `16ft` of swell from the SW, with a very-long 16-second period, and the combined energy just explodes to a powerful `12695` first thing in the morning. This is an exceptional, big-wave day, and only for experts. The wind is forecast to be offshore and the water will be clean, which is remarkable for a swell this size. This is the clear standout of the whole run. It’s a week away, so we’ve got time to watch it, but this is the one that has my heart racing. Keep Wednesday September 2nd open in your calendar.

The days following that big pulse are going to be a mess. Thursday and Friday (September 3rd and 4th) are blown out with strong to near-gale force winds, even if the swell is still substantial. The short-period swell and those winds will make for poor surf quality. That setup might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The early part of the following week has a few clean windows with glassy conditions, like Sunday morning (September 6th) with a clean `4ft` WSW groundswell and an energy of `1129`, but the size is well down.

There is another small, clean push on Monday, September 7th, with `6ft` of swell from the SE and a glassy morning. It’s worth a look. After that, the surf seems to fade out, with a few lackluster, small, and onshore days until much later in the forecast. Around Friday, September 11th, there’s a small but clean SSW swell in the mix with a period of 12-13s, the size creeping back up to `6.5ft` with moderate energy (`1255` to `1390`). It’s over a week and a half away, so treat that one with a bit of caution, but it could be a fun end to the window. The big story is next Wednesday. Get on it.

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