Lunada Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the table for the coming weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so we’ll keep it real.

The first thing you’ve gotta know is that this forecast is a long, slow burn. We’re looking at a solid run of pretty ordinary, small, and onshore conditions for the first week or so. Don’t expect much to get your hopes up until we hit the second weekend. The real standout action is right at the end of the first week and into the start of the second, with a couple of mornings that'll actually get the blood pumping.

The only spot really in the conversation here is Lunada Bay. It’s a well-known reef setup, consistent, and it loves a solid WNW swell. The water is sitting at 74° today, which is a whopping 8° warmer than usual for this time of year—that’s very unusual, honestly a bit weird for the season.

Alright, let’s break it down day by day.

Starting this Saturday, the 29th of August, we’ve got a tiny 3 ft swell from the SSW with a long 17-second period. The energy is moderate (398), but the wind is a cross-on and the tide is questionable. It’s a marginal call at best, and by the afternoon a 12 mph onshore wind from the W turns it into a total washout. That’s a skip.

Sunday the 30th is much the same story. A 3 ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, 372 energy, but a tricky cross-shore wind in the morning and a strong onshore in the afternoon. Not worth paddling out for.

Monday the 31st, the swell drops to 2 ft and the energy is weak (167). The wind is a gentle cross-shore, but the waves are just too small to do anything. Forget it.

Tuesday the 1st of September is truly dire. Swell is down to 1 ft, energy is a measly 75. The morning has a light cross-on, but it’s just not happening. The afternoon has a 16 mph onshore from the W. Hard pass.

Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd are more of the same: small 2 ft to 2 ft swell, strong onshore winds in the afternoons, and the morning windows are blown out. No dice.

Now, here’s where things get interesting.

On Friday the 4th of September, we finally get a window. The morning brings a 3 ft swell from the SSW, with a long 17-second period and moderate energy (491). The wind is a light 6 mph cross-off from the SSE, which is going to clean things up nicely. The conditions are good, the waves are clean, and it’s the best on offer so far. This is the one to aim for if you’ve got a free morning. The afternoon, as usual, gets ruined by a 9 mph onshore.

Then, Saturday the 5th of September morning is a real beauty. The swell is still 3 ft from the SSW, 16-second period, with 363 energy. But the wind is glassy. That’s right, glassy. A 3 mph westerly, dead calm. The waves will be clean, smooth, and perfect for a reef. This is the absolute standout of the whole outlook. Get on it early, because the afternoon will blow out with a 12 mph onshore.

After that, we slide back into the doldrums. Sunday the 6th through to the end of the forecast on the 13th of September is a real drag. The swells bump around 2 ft to 3 ft, but the energy is mostly weak to moderate (112 to 406), and the winds are almost always onshore or cross-on. There are a few morning windows with a clean cross-off breeze on the 7th and the 11th, but the swell is too small (2 ft to 2 ft) to get excited about. It’s a long stretch of pretty ordinary surf.

The Verdict: There’s nothing worth chasing for the first five days. The only real standouts are the mornings of Friday the 4th of September and Saturday the 5th of September at Lunada Bay. The Saturday morning with glassy conditions is the absolute best bet. After that, the second week is a write-off with small, onshore crap. Keep an eye on the forecasts, hope for a change.

Rusty.

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