North Torrey Pines Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for North Torrey Pines over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the first week is a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a persistent cross-onshore wind that just won’t quit, and the wave energy is all over the place. The surf is small and chopped up, with combined energy values struggling to get into the moderate range, often sitting around 331 to 480. It’s not what you want to hear, but this is a period where you’d be better off doing something else. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re sitting there waiting for a clean one.

Things start to look a little more promising come Sunday the 19th. The swell gets a bit of a bump, and by the afternoon we’re seeing a 3ft swell from the SW with a period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The wind goes slightly offshore, and the combined energy jumps up to 1055, which is solid. It’s still not perfect, but it’s the first real glimmer of hope.

The standout period, and the one to circle on your calendar, is the final weekend of July and into August. Saturday the 25th sees a spike in swell size, hitting 7ft to 7ft from the SSW. The combined energy readings are massive, clocking in at 2613 and 2365. That’s a lot of water moving. However, for North Torrey Pines, that’s too much. The file flags it as too big for this break, so this is expert only territory. The winds are light, but the swell is just too powerful for the beach break setup here.

The real sweet spot, if you ask me, is Sunday the 26th through to Tuesday the 28th. The swell drops back to a more manageable 3ft to 4ft, still from the SSW, with a long period of 18 to 19 seconds. The wind is offshore or light cross-onshore, and the combined energy stays in the 1200 to 1500 range. This is where you get that long-period groundswell quality – proper lines, more energy, and decent gaps between sets. The crowds here are listed as “sometimes,” so you might get a little company, but for a spot that’s been mostly flat and choppy, this is easily the best run of the entire outlook. It’s the kind of swell that makes the wait worthwhile.

After that, the energy fades back into the 800s and 500s through the start of August, with the wind turning cross-onshore again, so it’s back to the same old story. Enjoy that window at the end of July.

Rusty.

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