Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks at Long Beach. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but we’ve got some real gems hidden in there if you’re patient.

The pattern starts off messy. Monday the 7th is a write-off for me – there’s a solid 7 ft SW groundswell (14 sec period) with a strong combined energy (1641), but it’s onshore and the report calls it marginal. Not worth paddling out in that. The only real standout in the first week is Tuesday morning the 8th. We get a drop in size to a clean 3 ft from the WSW, but the wind is glassy – dead calm – and that makes for perfect, smooth conditions. The energy is moderate (585), but for a sandbar break that’s fairly consistent, a glassy morning with waist-high waves is a beautiful thing. Crowds can be an issue here, so get out early to have it to yourself.

Wednesday the 9th through Friday the 11th is a rough patch. The swell bumps up, but the wind goes nasty – cross-offshore and strong, with a period of near gale force winds on Friday. That’s not paddle-surf friendly; more like kite-surfing territory. The weekend of the 12th and 13th sees more swell, but the wind stays messy and onshore, keeping the quality poor.

The second week is where the real promise shows up. After a few days of poor conditions, things look to clean up nicely. The standout of the whole forecast is Sunday the 20th. We’ve got a solid 7 ft WSW groundswell (14 sec period) – that’s got plenty of energy (2068). The wind is gentle offshore in the morning, turning to a moderate offshore in the afternoon. The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is a bit too big for beginners (over 5 ft), but for anyone with some sessions under their belt, this is the day to circle on your calendar. The long period means it’ll be powerful and clean at this sandbar, so expect well-shaped waves.

There’s a smaller, but still solid option on Saturday the 19th afternoon – 5 ft SW (16 sec period) with moderate offshore wind. It’s not the standout, but it’s a good warm-up for Sunday. Earlier in the week, Wednesday the 16th has a strong 8 ft SW groundswell but with strong offshore winds (25 mph). That makes for clean, hollow waves that are hard to paddle into – strictly for experts only. The energy is high (3350). Thursday the 17th and Monday the 21st are back to poor quality with strong cross-offshore winds.

So, to sum it up: this week is a write-off except for Tuesday morning’s glassy session. The second week builds to a real cracker on Sunday the 20th – that’s your best bet for clean, powerful waves. Keep an eye on it, but it’s far enough out to have some uncertainty. Get after it.

Rusty.

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