Lunada Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's shaping up for Lunada Bay over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, we're in a bit of a flat spell. The swell's tiny, and the wind just won't play nice. For the first half of the forecast, it’s a write-off for a proper paddle. Starting Sunday, July 12th, we've got light WSW cross-onshore winds and a weak 2ft swell from the SSW, but it's sloppy. That pattern of small, wind-affected surf pretty much holds through to Friday, July 17th. There's a brief moment on the morning of Thursday, July 16th, where we get a clean, cross-off breeze from the SSE, but the swell is only 1ft from the SW (weak energy). It's surfable, but you’ll be fighting for scraps. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

After that, it stays poor through the next week. Saturday, July 18th, brings a slight bump to 2ft SW swell, but cross-shore winds and small ripples make it messy. The onshores really hammer it from July 19th to the 22nd, with winds gusting up to 18 mph from the W. It's just not worth the paddle.

Then things get interesting. Look towards the end of the month. Thursday, July 24th, is the standout. The morning shows a glassy, clean start with a light SE cross-off breeze and a 2ft SSW swell, but the key here is the period. We're talking a very long 24-second groundswell. This is a proper pulse of energy, and with a reef setup like Lunada Bay, that long period is perfect for lining up and offering some real shape. It's going to be clean, with that long period giving you plenty of time between sets to get back out. That morning is the best on offer by far.

The following morning, Saturday, July 25th, also looks promising with a 2ft SW swell and clean, cross-off winds from the SSE. Another morning with clean conditions and a decent 21-second period. The morning of Sunday, July 26th, is similar with a 3ft SSW swell, again cleaning up with a light SSE breeze. The afternoons on these days get blown out, so it’s a dawn-patrol mission.

So, to sum it up: it's a long, flat wait, but the Thursday morning of July 24th is the one to circle. Clean, long-period groundswell at a quality reef break. For that morning, the swell is small enough for most and the crowd factor is 'often', so don't expect to have it to yourself. The following weekend mornings are also solid second options. Don't bother with anything before that.

Rusty.

Read more