Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook for Long Beach is a tough one. There’s not a single session that I’d call a good surf option in the entire 16-day window. The swell is there, but it’s being hammered by persistent cross-onshore winds, and the wave quality is just plain poor. We’re looking at a long, blank run where the conditions are better suited for a kite than a surfboard.

The pattern is set: a steady stream of ENE to E swell, mostly around 4 ft to 8 ft, with a short, weak period between 6 and 8 seconds. The combined energy kicks up a bit, hitting moderate values like 533 (Thursday morning) and even climbing to strong readings of 762 (Tuesday, August 11th), but it’s all wasted. The wind is the villain here – a relentless, fresh breeze out of the E and ESE, blowing cross-on or onshore every single day. That’s going to leave the surface lumpy, choppy, and a mess.

Let’s run through it. Starting Thursday, July 30th, we have a 7 ft swell from the ENE, but with a 22 mph cross-on wind, it’s a write-off. The water temp is a warm 84°F, which is about average for the time of year, but you won’t want to be out there. Friday sees the wind drop a bit, but it’s onshore and the surf is still marginal. Saturday and Sunday are more of the same: clean skies but messy, cross-onshore slop.

The middle of the week doesn’t get any better. Monday through Wednesday, the swell stays around 4 ft to 5 ft, but the wind is howling at 19-22 mph from the east. It’s a frustrating grind. The period is short, under 8 seconds, so these are weak, wind-affected waves with no real punch.

We get a pulse of energy around Thursday, August 6th, with the swell climbing back to 6 ft and the combined energy hitting 392. But again, the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-on. It’s the same story for the following week. By Tuesday, August 11th, the swell maxes out at 8 ft from the E, with a combined energy of 762, which is a lot of water moving. But the period is still only 8 seconds, and the wind is a brutal 22 mph cross-on. For a beach break, that’s a recipe for close-outs and a washing machine. Honestly, this setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The last few days into mid-August see the same pattern: moderate to fresh cross-onshore winds and poor surf. There’s no standout, no hidden gem. The forecast confidence is high for the near term, but it doesn’t matter – it’s all bad news. The only positive is that Long Beach is inconsistent, so a blank run like this, while frustrating, isn’t unusual for the area. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d save your energy.

Rusty, signing off.

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