Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Long Beach. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so we’ll need to pick our moments.

The forecast kicks off Thursday, July 9th, with a solid 8ft SW swell hitting the shore, but it’s a messy one. The wind’s blowing cross-off from the SE at 19 mph, which keeps things looking clean on the surface, but the whole setup has a "marginal" feel to it. The combined swell energy is strong at 2422, so there’s plenty of power, but it’s not translating into the kind of waves you’d want to race out for. This trend continues right through the weekend, with the swell slowly dropping from 8ft down to 4ft by Sunday afternoon. The wind stays cross-off, and the energy fades from 2350 down to 682. It’s all surfable, but nothing’s really lighting up. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is about average for the time of year, so no need to worry about a cold one.

The first real standout comes on Wednesday, July 15th. The morning kicks off with a glassy, zero-wind session and a 4ft SW groundswell with a very long period of 16 seconds. The energy is moderate at 819, but that long period means the waves will have real shape and punch, especially at a sheltered sandbar like Long Beach. It’s the kind of morning where you’ll find clean, lined-up waves all to yourself. Then, in the afternoon, the wind swings offshore from the S at 6 mph, and the swell jumps to 8ft from the SW with a period of 14 seconds. The energy rockets up to 2455, and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a big, powerful, clean wave, but at 8ft, this is expert territory. Beginners should stay out of the water.

After that, Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are a bit of a write-off with onshore winds and a drop in quality. Saturday the 18th brings more size—12ft from the WSW in the morning—but the cross-off wind keeps it from being truly clean, and it’s a big, powerful, tricky wave.

The absolute best of the forecast, the one you’ve got to circle, is Sunday, July 19th. Sunday morning has a 15ft SW groundswell, period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 6594. The wind is glassy, from the ENE at just 3 mph. This is a huge, clean, powerful swell hitting a sheltered sandbar. It’s surf conditions described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a day for the big-wave crew only. The afternoon stays clean with offshore wind, and the swell drops to 13ft, still massive.

The following week, July 20th through the 24th, is pretty much a write-off. Strong onshore and cross-onshore winds, huge messy swells, and poor conditions dominate. There’s a solid 15ft to 16ft swell on the 23rd and 24th, but it’s all blown out and lumpy with strong winds. The energy on the 24th hits 14262, but it’s a kite-surfing day, not a paddle-surfing one. That’s the big caveat: onshore winds at 19-22 mph with that much power? The beach will be a washing machine. For the average punter, the real window is the 15th through the 19th, with the 19th being the absolute standout.

Rusty, signing off.

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