Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. I’ve looked at the charts for the next sixteen days, and honestly, it’s a tough one for the Long Beach area. We’ve got a solid run of surf on the calendar, but the wind is just not playing ball at all.

For the entire period, from Monday the 20th of July right through to Tuesday the 4th of August, the wind is locked in from the east, blowing a consistent cross-on shore. That’s going to mess up any chance of a clean, peeling wave. The swell is hanging around, but it’s all short-period windswell, mostly under 8 seconds, so it’s not got any of that groundswell push. The combined wave energy jumps around, but it never really gets into the kind of numbers that make you want to call in sick. Even when it peaks at 484 (moderate energy) on the 31st of July, the onshore breeze is going to chop it up something shocking.

Long Beach is the only show in town, and it’s an exposed, inconsistent spot that needs a clean window to work. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird to report there. The best swell direction from the forecast is ENE, which is fine, but the wind is smashing it from the same side.

Here’s how it plays out. The first week is a write-off. Monday the 20th through to Sunday the 26th of July is all cross-onhore wind, with the swell bouncing between 3 ft and 7 ft. The period is a pathetic 6 to 7 seconds, so the waves will be fat and crumbly. The combined energy is weak to moderate (118 to 436). There’s nothing to get excited about. If you’re a beginner, the smaller days (3 ft, 4 ft) might be okay to paddle around in, but it’s not going to be fun.

The second week, from Monday the 27th of July to Tuesday the 4th of August, shows a bit more size, with the swell holding around 5 ft to 6 ft, and the period finally creeping up to 8 or 9 seconds. The combined energy is consistently moderate (290 to 484). The 31st of July has a spike to 484, which is the best energy on offer, but the wind is still a fresh 19 mph cross-on. The 1st of August morning has a slightly lighter breeze at 12 mph, and the period hits 9 seconds, giving the best chance of a half-decent wave, but it’s still cross-on.

The standouts? There aren’t any true standouts. If I had to pick the lesser of the evils, the Saturday afternoon of the 1st of August has a 4 ft ENE swell with a 9-second period and the lightest wind of the whole run at 12 mph. That’s your best bet, but it’s still a gamble. The Friday the 31st of July afternoon has the biggest combined energy (484), but the wind is 16 mph cross-on, so it’s more of a choppy paddle than a surf.

To be honest, with this persistent cross-shore wind and short-period swell, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The waves are there, but the quality is just not there for us. It’s a long blank run, and that’s just how it goes sometimes in this area. Forecasts can change, but for now, I’d leave the boards in the car and go for a fish.

Rusty.

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