Newport Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Newport Beach.

Look, I’ll be straight with you – the first week is a bit of a grind. The surf is small and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, which is a real buzzkill. The water is a warm 70° – that’s much warmer than usual for this time of year, so you can leave the steamer at home, but the waves are just not cooperating. We’ve got a long stretch of marginal days where the conditions are just fighting you. The real issue is the wind staying on it, keeping everything messy.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th kick off with small 3ft SW swell, but with a cross-on wind, it’s just a bumpy, frustrating paddle. The combined energy is weak to moderate (745 and 737) – not enough to get excited about, and the period is long (21 and 19 seconds) which can make these beach breaks fat and straight.

Monday the 27th sees a slight bump to 4ft SW, but still that same cross-on breeze. The energy creeps up a bit (781) but the wave comment says it all – marginal. Nothing to rush for.

Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th are a bit of a turning point. On Thursday the 30th, the swell starts to build, hitting 4ft from the S with a 15-second period, and the energy jumps into the moderate range (1069). The wind is still cross-on, but the wave is starting to have a bit more push. Still, it’s not clean.

Now, Friday the 31st is the standout of the first week. The swell hits 6ft from the S, with a period of 14 seconds, and the energy is solid (1349). That’s a proper wave, but here’s the catch – the wind is onshore. For a beginner, 6ft is getting too big, and with that onshore wind, it’s going to be a lumpy, messy closeout. Not ideal for a paddle session, but if you’ve got a kite, that setup is looking way more interesting than a surfboard.

After Friday, the swell drops off fast. Saturday the 1st of August has 5ft from the SSW, but the wind stays cross-on, and the energy drops back to 840. By Sunday the 2nd, we’re down to 3ft, and from Monday the 3rd through to the 9th of August, it’s just tiny, weak leftovers – 1ft to 2ft, with energy barely scraping triple digits. That’s a full week of flat, poor conditions. The period stays long (16-18 seconds) on those tiny waves, which is just a tease.

So, if you’re asking me, the best on offer is Friday the 31st of July. It’s got the size and the energy, but don’t expect a glassy, clean session. The direction is S, which is not the optimum SSW for the river mouth, and the onshore wind kills the quality. It’s a day for the experienced crew who don’t mind a bit of chop. For everyone else, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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