Natural Bridges State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a 16-day outlook for Natural Bridges State Beach, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The wave energy is there, but the conditions just aren’t lining up for a proper surf session for most of it.

The water is sitting at 61° today, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a small comfort. The swell is mostly coming from the SSW, with some decent long-period groundswell, but the wind is almost always from the wrong angle, keeping things messy.

We start off with a few marginal windows. Wednesday afternoon, August 12th, you’ve got a 2ft SSW swell rolling in with a 16-second period. The combined energy is moderate (442), but it’s a light cross-onshore wind, and the report says it’s marginal. Not worth paddling out for. Thursday and Friday are a write-off – poor conditions all day.

The first real chance to wet a line comes on Saturday morning, August 15th. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW, still with that juicy 16-second period. The combined energy is solid (548), and it’s a light cross-onshore breeze. The report calls it marginal again, but this is probably the best of a bad bunch for the first week. It’s still not clean, but it’s the closest we get.

After that, we hit a long, frustrating gap. From Saturday afternoon right through to the end of the third week of August, it’s all poor surf conditions. The swell stays small, mostly under 3ft, and the wind never lets up. There’s a brief spike on Tuesday afternoon, August 18th, with a 5ft WNW swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate (652). It’s still rated poor, and with that short period, it’s just a messy, choppy wall. Not worth your time.

The whole second week is a write-off. We’re looking at a gap of nearly 10 days with no real recommendation. The swell tries to pick up again around the 21st and 22nd, with some 4ft to 5ft WNW swell, but the period is still short, and the wind is cross-onshore. It’s poor, plain and simple.

Finally, on Thursday morning, August 27th, we get a little glimmer. A 3ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, and a light cross-onshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate (455). It’s once again rated as marginal. This is a promising but very long-range call. The wind is light, and if that holds, it could be the cleanest wave we see in the whole 16 days, but it’s a long way out.

Look, if you’re desperate for a paddle, Saturday morning August 15th is your best bet for the first week. For the second week, keep an eye on that Thursday morning August 27th. Otherwise, the forecast is a real bummer. The break is a reef, so when it’s on, it’s on, but it’s not often this period.

Rusty.

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