Long Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gonna be straight with ya – we’ve got a long stretch of frustrating weather ahead for Long Beach. Don’t let the summer dates fool ya; this is a tough outlook.

The pattern for the next 16 days is dominated by persistent cross-onshore winds, mostly from the east and east-northeast, which will keep the surf messy and lumpy for the vast majority of the run. The combined swell energy is generally weak to moderate, with values ranging from 62 to 196 (weak to moderate energy) for the first week, making for a real struggle. The water temp is sitting at a warm 84°F with a tiny anomaly of 0.5°F, so it’s about average for this time of year, but that’s small comfort when the waves are junk.

We kick off Monday, August 10th, with nothing doing. A tiny 3ft NE windswell with a short 6-second period and a cross-onshore breeze makes for poor surf conditions. That’s the story for the next several days. Tuesday the 11th is even smaller, with 1ft to 3ft of weak, short-period swell. By Wednesday the 12th, we get a little bump to 4ft, but the wind picks up to 30 km/h, making it a lumpy, fresh cross-onshore mess. Thursday the 13th sees a massive spike in energy – 10ft swell with a 9-second period and a combined energy of 1497 (strong to very strong wave energy) – but don’t get excited. The wind is howling at 50 km/h from the east, turning it into a near gale, cross-onshore, blown-out disaster. That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddling. This nasty, windy, messy pattern continues right through Friday the 14th, Saturday the 15th, and into the next week, with swell hanging around 6ft to 8ft but always accompanied by strong, dirty cross-onshore winds.

Now, there is one brief window that catches the eye. On Sunday, August 16th, the wind finally shifts. The morning still has a moderate cross-shore chop on a 6ft ENE swell, but the afternoon is the only real standout. We get a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the north-northeast with an 8ft ENE groundswell carrying a very long period of 12 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 2080 (very strong wave energy). This is a powerful, clean groundswell. However, a word of caution for a beach break: that long period (over 11 seconds) can make it break too straight and shut down, so it’s best suited for the more defined sandbanks or a reef if you can find one. That 8ft is also solidly in the expert-only zone. This is the best on offer, but it’s a one-afternoon deal.

After that, it’s back to the same old story. Monday the 17th brings onshore winds again with 5ft to 5ft swell, and the rest of the second week from the 18th through the 25th of August is just a repeat of weak to moderate energy (combined energy ranging from 102 to 488) with cross-onshore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. There’s a bit of swell on the 25th, 6ft to 7ft, but with a fresh cross-onshore breeze, it’ll be a messy, blown-out affair.

So, to sum it up: the entire 16-day window is a write-off, except for the afternoon of Sunday, August 16th. That’s your one shot at a clean, powerful wave, but it’s for experts only. The rest of the time, the wind is your enemy. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but right now, I’d be looking for a lake or a pool.

Rusty.

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