Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Long Beach.

First thing you need to know – the water is running a bit colder than usual, about 2° colder than normal for this time of year, so you might want an extra mil or two of rubber.

Honestly, the start of this forecast is a bit of a write-off. Saturday the 22nd is a no-go with onshore wind and poor surf, so don’t bother. There’s a gap of a couple of days where it’s just not worth it.

Sunday the 23rd is where it starts to get interesting. We’ve got a clean 8ft swell from the WSW, with a period of 13 seconds, so it’s got some real push. The wind is light and offshore, cross-off really, and it’s going to be clean. The wave energy is strong (1812), so expect some decent power. This is your best bet for the near term. The swell is a bit much for beginners, but intermediate surfers will be in for a treat.

Monday the 24th sees the swell drop a little to 6ft, but it stays clean with cross-off wind. Not a standout, but a solid option if you missed Sunday.

Tuesday the 25th is a weird one. The swell bumps up to 8ft with a longer 14-second period from the SW, and the energy is strong (2488). The problem is the wind is howling from the SE at 25-28 mph. It’s cross-off, so it’s clean, but that’s a lot of breeze. The swell is big enough that it’s strictly for experienced surfers. This one is more of a "watch and see" for me.

The rest of that week (Wednesday 26th through Friday 28th) is a mix of smaller, shorter-period swell and mediocre conditions. Nothing to get excited about.

Now, the real standout is way out there in the second week. Sunday the 6th of September is a serious prospect. We’re looking at a 7ft swell from the WSW, but the period is a massive 20 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell, and the energy is through the roof (6986). The wind is light and cross-off from the SSE. The only caveat is that this kind of long-period swell can be a bit straight at a sandbar setup like Long Beach – it might be better if it wraps in. But for experienced surfers, this is as good as it gets on the chart. It’s clean, powerful, and has that deep-water energy.

Also keep an eye on Thursday the 3rd of September. The afternoon session has a massive 21ft swell from the west with a 14-second period and clean cross-off wind. The energy is extreme (16723). This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s likely to be a washing machine. More of a spectacle than a session.

So, my pick: Surf Sunday the 23rd for the clean, punchy waves, and keep your fingers crossed for Sunday the 6th of September – that’s the one that could be truly special if the sandbars play ball.

Rusty.

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