Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Long Beach has got cookin’ for us. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s some serious firepower waiting in the second week, so don’t write this one off.

The first few days are a write-off, honestly. Tuesday the 7th is a no-go with messy onshore winds and weak, jumbled swell – you’d be wasting your time. Wednesday the 8th morning is where things finally perk up. It’s not huge, but we’re looking at a solid 8ft SW groundswell with a proper 13-second period, and the wind is dead glassy. That’s a beautiful combination for the sandbar. The water is sitting at 60°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The combined energy is pumping hard at 2751 (moderate to strong). That Wednesday morning session is the standout in this first week – get on it before the wind swings around in the arvo and spoils the party.

From Thursday morning through the weekend, the swell stays chunky but the wind turns into a real problem. A persistent SE breeze blows cross-off, but it’s pushing 19 to 28 mph. That kind of wind strength is just going to make things lumpy and hard to read, even with 8ft to 10ft of SW-SSW swell. The energy readings are still high, like 3268 on Thursday morning, but the quality just isn’t there for a good paddle session. This setup honestly looks more interesting for the kite crew than us surfers.

We then hit a flat spell from about Monday the 13th through to Wednesday the 15th. Just small, weak waves with zero push. Not worth talking about.

Now, hold onto your board, because Thursday the 16th is where the magic is. We get a fantastic window starting Thursday morning with a glassy 8ft SW groundswell, period 12 seconds, and the energy is a strong 2001. By the afternoon, it bumps up to 12ft SW with a 14-second period and a very strong energy reading of 4274. This is proper groundswell, so at a sheltered sandbar, that long period is going to carve out some beautiful, lined-up waves. This is big and powerful – definitely expert territory, especially when it hits 12ft. The glassy conditions Thursday morning will be a treat, and Friday the 17th keeps the stoke alive with more glassy, 12ft SW swell in the morning and a clean 8ft in the afternoon with light offshore winds. The crowds are listed as “often” here, so expect plenty of company at this break, especially when it’s this good.

After that peak, the surf starts to fade. Saturday the 18th still has size (10ft) but the wind swings onshore and chops it up. Sunday the 19th is cleaner but much smaller, and by Monday the 20th we’re back to poor, choppy conditions. The last few days of the forecast, into the 22nd, look pretty grim with messy, rain-filled onshore slop.

So, to wrap it up: the standout is crystal clear – Wednesday morning the 8th for the first decent glassy session, and then the absolute winner is the Thursday 16th through Friday 17th for big, clean, powerful groundswell. Get your big board or your step-up ready, and don’t be late.

Rusty.

Read more