Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, it's Rusty. Let's get straight into what's shaping up for Long Beach.

First things first, the water temperature is sitting at 58°F, which is a bit colder than what we'd normally expect for this time of year – so you'll want that wetsuit.

The forecast opens with a pulse of OK swell on Thursday morning, September 3rd. We're looking at a 6ft swell from the WSW with a long 13-second period – that's groundswell energy coming through. The combined energy is strong at 1151 (moderate wave energy), and with light SE cross-offshore winds, the conditions are clean. Long Beach is a sandbar setup and fairly consistent, but remember it's sheltered and the optimum swell is from the SW, so this WSW direction is a little off. Still, the surf will be very good, just be aware that crowds are often here. This is probably the best you'll get for the next week, but don't expect perfection.

From Thursday afternoon through Saturday afternoon (September 3rd to 5th), the wind absolutely hammers it. Near gale to gale-force SE winds blow at 31 to 40 mph, whipping up a messy, blown-out 10ft to 12ft swell from the SSE/SE with short, weak 8 to 9-second periods. It's a write-off for paddle surfing – if you have a kite, this might be more your scene, but for a board, forget it.

Sunday, September 6th, shows a bit of a shift. The morning still has a 8ft SW groundswell (18-second period – very long!) but with a 12 mph ESE cross-off wind, making it a marginal call. The energy is huge at 3827 (very strong), but those super long intervals can make beachies fat and hard to connect. The afternoon turns it on though – a clean 7ft SW swell with a 16-second period and light SSE winds at 6 mph. The energy is still strong (2313), and for experienced surfers, this is excellent. The period is very long, so it'll be better if you can find a rip or a deeper channel to sit in.

Monday, September 7th, the winds go onshore from the NW, ruining the clean surf we had. A 7ft SW swell in the morning is blown out completely, with a flat score of 0. The rest of the first week (through to Saturday, September 12th) is a grim run of cross-offshore winds from the SE and ESE that are just too strong, in the 19 to 34 mph range. Swell hangs around between 4ft and 6ft, but the quality is poor. There's little to get excited about – a few marginal windows but nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, looking further ahead, there's a real standout on Monday, September 14th. The morning shows 8ft of SSW groundswell with a 14-second period and glassy conditions – the wind is a flat calm 3 mph from the SW. The combined energy is 2825 (very strong). This is an excellent setup for experienced surfers. The swell is a bit big for beginners, but it's clean, powerful, and with that solid period, it will hold up nicely at Long Beach. This is the best bet of the whole 16 days, but being over a week away, keep an eye on the forecasts as things can shift.

Before that, Sunday, September 13th has a massive 10ft SSW swell arriving with a 13-second period, but the wind is a strong 28 mph cross-off from the ESE, making it a marginal call. Too much wind for that much swell.

After that Monday peak, the rest of the second week (through to Friday, September 18th) looks like a mixed bag. We get some decent-sized swells from the SW (5ft to 8ft) and some groundswell periods (up to 16 seconds), but the wind is mostly a problem – either onshore from the N/NW or strong cross-off from the SSE and SE. The cleanest window appears on Thursday, September 17th, with a 7ft SW swell (16 seconds) and a 22 mph cross-off from the SSE, but that's fresh breeze strength and it's only a marginal call. Friday, September 18th is similar – clean surf but with a strong breeze.

So, to sum it up: the first week is tough, with only Thursday morning and Sunday afternoon offering any real quality. The clear standout is Monday morning, September 14th – glassy, powerful, and big for the experienced crew. The second week is a bit of a grind with strong winds, but there are a few cleaner, albeit windy, windows if you're desperate.

Stay frothy.

Rusty.

Read more