Lunada Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at a pretty grim stretch ahead for Lunada Bay. Honestly, for the next 16 days, the stars are just not aligning. We’ve got a massive gap coming up where there’s basically nothing worth paddling out for.

The first real chance of any waves comes on Thursday, August 7th, but even then, it’s a tough call. We’ve got a decent groundswell rolling in from the SSW with a long period of 19 seconds, pushing the combined energy to a moderate 231. That long period is a double-edged sword for a reef break like this – it means the energy is there, but those long lulls between sets will make for a tricky paddle. The problem is the wind. It’s a light cross-shore in the morning, but the surf is still just 1ft of small, weak swell. The afternoon turns into a direct onshore, ruining any chance of a clean face.

The action picks up slightly on Saturday, August 9th. The morning session is the only real standout in the entire outlook. We’ll see a 2ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, and the wind goes clean cross-offshore from the SSE. The energy is a weak 148, so it’s small, but those conditions mean the wave faces will be clean and without bumps. It’s a window for a longboard or a funshape, but don’t expect much power. The afternoon will be a write-off with a cross-onshore breeze.

The water is running at 72°, which is a massive 7° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit, but that’s about the only thing going for us.

For the rest of the period, it’s a desert. From now until August 7th, it’s a total blank. Even after that, the "poor surf conditions" tag is stuck on every session. The swell stays tiny, under 2ft for the whole run, and the wind is almost always cross-on, onshore, or direct onshore, creating a messy, chopped-up lineup. The best you can say is that the light breezes on some mornings will keep the chop down, but with that small swell, there’s no juice.

This is a tough one for Lunada Bay. It’s a consistent spot that usually handles a bit of swell, but this 16-day forecast is a total shutdown. Don’t get your hopes up. Honestly, with the wind profile and the small, weak surf, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for the majority of the days. Hang in there, and let’s hope the next forecast brings some proper energy.

Rusty.

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