Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break this down. We’ve got a 16-day window here, and the first real surf we’ll see is on Tuesday the 1st of September. It kicks off with a solid pulse of southwest groundswell hitting Long Beach—a sheltered sandbar setup that’s best for intermediate surfers. This isn’t a spot that fires all the time, but when it does, it can hold some serious energy, and it’s fairly consistent when the swell’s right.

That Tuesday morning, you’re looking at a clean, glassy 10ft southwest swell with a long 13-second period. The energy is strong at 3112, and the water’s sitting at 58°F—a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so a good 4/3 might be the call. The wind is glass, absolutely dead, which is a major plus for that morning session. It’s a standout for experienced surfers, but the wave size is over 8ft, so this is for the crew who know what they’re doing. The swell direction matches the optimum from the southwest perfectly.

Tuesday afternoon holds similar 12ft surf, still clean with a light cross-off breeze. Wednesday the 2nd keeps that energy rolling with 10ft swells and clean offshore winds in the morning—another top-tier window for those in the know. That Wednesday afternoon stays clean and offshore.

Thursday the 3rd gets a bit messy. The morning shows a smaller 6ft swell with some rain showers and a cross-off breeze, still clean but a step down in size and power. Then Thursday afternoon the wind absolutely howls from the southeast at 34 mph, and the swell jumps up to 10ft but with short 9-second period wind chop. That’s a full-on mess—kite surfers might love it, but for paddle surfing, it’s cooked.

Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are a write-off. Strong to near-gale winds in the 25-37 mph range batter the coast, with short-period, low-energy swell. The combined energy drops from around 1223 down to 921. No good for surfing. The wait continues.

Sunday the 6th brings a glimmer of hope. The morning is still a bit tricky with a 5ft southwest swell but it’s got a 16-second period—very long period groundswell. That kind of period can shape up nice on a sandbar but it can also race through. Winds are moderate from the east. The afternoon cleans up nicely with light southeast winds and a 4ft swell. The energy is moderate at 1646, but the conditions are good. Not a standout compared to earlier in the week, but a decent session possible.

Monday the 7th is glassy again in the morning, with a clean 4ft swell from the south-southwest. The period drops to 13 seconds, and the energy is weak at 791. Good for a fun, smaller day on a log or a mid-length. The afternoon stays clean with a gentle offshore.

Then we hit a big gap. From Tuesday the 8th right through to Monday the 14th of September, the surf is mostly small, windy, or just plain poor. Swell heights bounce between 1ft and 8ft, but the wind is nearly always onshore or cross-off from the southeast, often strong. A few days show moderate energy, but the swell is short period or the wind is too strong. The 15th of September is where it gets interesting again.

Tuesday the 15th morning breaks the dry spell: a solid 7ft SSW swell, 12-second period, light cross-off winds, and energy of 1249. The afternoon is even better—glass-like conditions with a slight offshore from the SSW. That’s a real standout in the second week, offering very good surf for the intermediate and above. The direction lines up perfectly again.

Wednesday the 16th throws a curveball. The morning turns onshore with a weak 4ft, long-period 18-second swell from the west-southwest—poor conditions. But by the afternoon, a 10ft southwest groundswell with a 16-second period shows up, the energy rocketing to 6246. The wind is light from the west-northwest. That’s a massive amount of energy, but the report calls it marginal. For a sheltered sandbar with that much size and period, it might be too much unless the tide lines up. For the experts, it’s worth a look, but it’s a gamble.

Overall, the best on offer is definitely the 1st and 2nd of September, with that pair of strong, clean, glassy southwest swells landing perfectly. The second standout is the 15th of September, where the swell and wind really click again. The middle week is a patience game, and the very last day is a wild card for the brave.

Rusty

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