Malibu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Well, folks, it’s Rusty here, and let me tell you, the next couple of weeks are going to test your patience. We’ve got a long, drawn-out stretch of small, weak surf ahead for the Malibu area. It’s not going to be a total wipeout, but you’re going to have to dig deep to find anything worth paddling out for.

The good news is that the water is absolutely balmy right now. We’re talking a solid 24° – a good five degrees warmer than it should be for this time of year. That’s a massive anomaly, and you’ll feel it the second you jump in. That's about the only thing that's going to be pumping for a while.

The first real window of opportunity kicks off on the morning of Monday the 28th. A clean little pulse of southwest swell rolls in, and with light offshore north winds, it’s going to be *clean*. The wave heights will be small, but that morning will be your best bet. Then again, on the morning of Tuesday the 29th, we get a bit of glassy conditions with a slightly better period, which is always a plus at a point break like this. The energy is still weak, though.

Otherwise, for the first ten days, we are stuck in a rut. The swell is tiny, the periods are short, and the winds are mostly onshore or cross-shore. It's an awful lot of marginal days where the tide and conditions just won't line up. The afternoons will get that typical sea breeze, chopping things up and making it feel even smaller than it is.

Here's the rundown:

From the 15th through the 27th, we're looking at a lot of knee-high slop, with the swell struggling to get above 0.8m. The combined swell energy is mostly in the 200-400s, which means it's weak. The period is all over the place, but mostly in the 12-16 second range, which isn’t helping shape much.

The one standout in this whole stretch is the morning of Monday the 28th. For a brief period, we see that offshore wind and clean conditions. Swell is 0.5m from the S, but the period is a longer 14 seconds. A long-period south swell is sometimes a bit tricky at a place like Malibu, as it can break a bit straight, but a little discipline and you might find a few fun ones. The energy is still low, but it's the most promising the forecast gets for a while.

The rest of that week follows the same path. The 30th sees a bit more size, but it's accompanied by a shorter period and a cross-onshore wind on the afternoon, killing any chances. The swell energy does jump up into the 500s, which is a bit more moderate, but with the junky wind, it doesn't really matter.

So, what's the call? It's a pretty bleak outlook overall. The waves are small, and there's no real big swell on the horizon. For the first week, the only thing you're likely to get is a few closeouts on a foam board. For a beginner, some of these smaller days are rideable, but there are only a couple of windows where it's worth the drive. It's a waiting game. But hey, the water's warm, and a paddling session is better than a day in the office.

See you in the water.

Rusty.

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