Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s talk about Long Beach. It’s a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent, but this forecast is a real mixed bag. The water temp is sitting at 60°, pretty much bang on average for this time of year. We’ve got a solid run of swell on the way, but the wind is going to be the main character for the first week, so hold tight.

We start off with a bit of a wait. The first real chance to get wet isn’t until Sunday the 12th. That morning you’re looking at a 4ft SSW swell, but it’s still a bit average. The afternoon is where it gets interesting. Sunday arvo, the swell drops a touch to 4ft from the SSW, but the wind goes light and the wave energy sits at a moderate 649. The call says “expect good surf conditions,” so that Sunday session is your first real look-in for the week.

Monday the 13th is a wildcard. The swell drops right back to 3ft from the SSW, but the wind goes glassy. It’s small, but it’s clean. The swell energy is weak at 222. If you’ve got a log, that’s your window. Tuesday the 14th turns ugly with cross-on wind and tiny, poor surf – definitely a day to stay on the beach.

Wednesday the 15th afternoon is the absolute standout of this whole outlook. The swell pumps up to 10ft from the SW with a long-period groundswell of 15 seconds. The combined energy cranks up to 4343, which is very strong. Now, a 10ft swell is expert territory only, and with that long period, it might break a bit straight across the sandbar. But the wind goes cross-off and clean. The data says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers,” and I agree. That’s your session if you’ve got the skills.

After that, it’s a bit of a letdown. Thursday the 16th keeps the size with a 10ft SW swell in the morning and 8ft in the arvo, but the wind goes cross-on and choppy. The energy is still strong (3250 and 2419), but the quality is gone. Friday the 17th is a write-off with howling cross-off wind at 25 mph, making for poor conditions despite the clean look.

The second week settles down. Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th are plagued by onshore and cross-on wind, making both days poor. Avoid them.

Monday the 21st shines again. The swell drops to 4ft from the W, but the wind goes glassy in the morning. The energy is moderate at 582, and the call is “expect good surf conditions.” That’s a clean, fun-sized day for everyone.

The end of the outlook sees a return of size and clean-ish wind. Wednesday the 23rd afternoon pushes through a 7ft SW swell with a moderate energy of 1504, but it’s still labelled marginal. Thursday the 24th afternoon is a real possibility: 8ft from the SW with fresh offshore wind. The energy is strong at 1648, and it’s described as “fresh offshore and clean.” That’s your second-week standout for the experienced crew.

So, to sum it up: if you want big, clean waves for experts, Wednesday the 15th afternoon is the one. For a fun, glassy small-wave session, Monday the 21st morning is your best bet. The rest of it is wind-affected or just ordinary.

- Rusty

Read more