Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into the outlook for Long Beach.

We’ve got a real mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. The good news is there’s some solid swell on the horizon, but the wind is going to make a mess of things for a fair chunk of the period. The first few days offer a bit of a tease, then there’s a long stretch of onshore slop before a proper weekend of clean, powerful surf shows up.

Starting off on Monday morning, we’ve got a 7ft SW swell running, but the wind is a cross-on from the NNW at 6 mph. The water is a chilly 55°, which is a whopping 5° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, so you’ll be wanting a thick wetsuit. The combined swell energy is a hefty 1638 (moderate-to-strong), but the conditions are marginal. It’s not the cleanest start. The afternoon cleans up a bit with a cross-off 6 mph SW breeze, dropping the swell slightly to 7ft (1384 energy), and it’s described as “very good.” That’s a decent window for a session.

Tuesday morning, September 8th, is the real standout of the early week. The swell drops to 3ft from the WSW, but the wind goes glassy from the ESE at just 3 mph. The combined energy is 585 (moderate), and it’s glassy. For a sandbar break, that’s about as clean as it gets. The afternoon sees a small 2ft wave with a gentle offshore wind from the S – clean but small.

Wednesday the 9th stays small, with 3ft to 3ft waves and clean conditions, but nothing to write home about. Then from Thursday morning through to the following Tuesday, the wind turns nasty. Bigger swell rolls in – 8ft on Thursday, 10ft on Friday, and up to 8ft with a 16-second period on Saturday – but the wind is consistently cross-off, onshore, or just plain strong. The combined energy on Thursday hits 3326 (strong), and by Saturday afternoon it’s 3821 (strong), but with a strong breeze and cross-off winds, the quality is poor. This setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, especially with the strong winds and 10ft SE windswell on Friday.

The real standouts are at the very end of the forecast. On Saturday, September 19th, the afternoon brings a 5ft SW swell with a 16-second period and a light cross-off breeze. The combined energy is 1491 (moderate-to-strong), and the conditions are “very good.” That’s a long-period groundswell, so it’ll be better shaped but with longer lulls between sets – perfect for a point break, but at a sandbar like Long Beach, it might break a bit straight.

But the best of the whole window is Sunday, September 20th. The morning shows a 8ft WSW swell with a 14-second period, combined energy of 2033 (strong), and a gentle cross-off breeze. That’s described as “excellent for experienced surfers” – and it is. Over 8ft is expert territory, and at 8ft, it’s still a serious wave. The afternoon holds up with a 7ft swell and a clean offshore wind from the S. This is the one to circle in the calendar. After that, Monday the 21st gets messy again with strong winds.

So, to sum it up: if you want a clean, small wave session, hit Tuesday morning. If you want the big, powerful stuff, wait for that Sunday, September 20th. It’s the genuine highlight.

Rusty.

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