North Torrey Pines Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with you—this is a tough one to write. Right now, and for the next couple of weeks, there’s just not much to get excited about along this stretch. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a flat spell, and honestly, the models are telling me there’s no real standout session coming up. The swell energy is weak, the winds are rarely pure offshore, and the forecast keeps spitting out "poor surf conditions" day after day. It’s a bit of a bummer, but it happens.

Let’s start with the first real chance of anything surfable. On Saturday, August 1st, we’re looking at North Torrey Pines. The water’s sitting at 76°, which is a massive 8° warmer than usual for this time of year—very unusual. The swell is tiny, only 2 ft, from the SSW, with a long 13-second period. That long period is a bit of a tease; it’s got energy, but the combined energy is only 245, which is weak. The wind is light from the W at 6 mph, coming straight onshore. That’s not doing us any favors for clean faces. It’s a beginner-friendly wave, but it’s inconsistent, and crowds are possible. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing right now.

The next few days are more of the same. Sunday the 2nd through to the 6th have swell heights bouncing between 1 ft and 2 ft, mostly from the SW or SSW. Periods are decent, 13 to 16 seconds, but the wind stays cross-on or onshore from the WSW or W. That kills the quality. The combined energy sits in the 100s, weak to moderate. No real reason to paddle out.

Then on Friday, August 7th, the swell energy jumps a bit—463 on the combined scale, which is moderate. Swell is 2 ft from the SSW with a very long 19-second period. That’s a groundswell, and it’ll be peeling a bit more at a point or reef, but we’re stuck at a beach break. The wind is still cross-on from the SW at 9 mph, so it’s still choppy. Not the one.

Saturday, August 8th and Sunday the 9th bring a slight bump to 3 ft and 3 ft, still SSW, periods around 15-17 seconds. The wind is light from the WSW, onshore, but at least it’s a light breeze. The combined energy is in the 300s, moderate. Still, the forecast says "poor surf conditions." It’s just not coming together.

The second week drags on. Monday, August 10th to Thursday the 13th, swell stays small, 1 ft to 3 ft, with a mix of SW and SSW. The wind is light to gentle, but it’s almost always onshore or cross-on. The energy is moderate, but the quality is missing.

The only flicker of something happens on Friday, August 14th afternoon. Swell hits 4 ft from the SW at 17 seconds, with a combined energy of 737—moderate to strong. The wind is from the W at 9 mph, onshore. The forecast calls it "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions." That’s the closest we get to a real session, but with the wind onshore, it’s still messy. Over 5 ft is getting too big for beginners, but this is just shy of that.

Saturday, August 15th morning has a touch of hope: 3 ft, SSW, 16 seconds, with a light WNW breeze at 6 mph, onshore. The energy is 518, moderate. But the tide or something is off, and it’s still called "marginal." The afternoon is similar, 3 ft, but the wind is light and onshore again.

After that, it drops off again on Sunday the 16th with 3 ft and poor conditions.

So, the standout? There isn’t one. The best of a bad bunch is Friday, August 14th afternoon, with the biggest swell at 4 ft and the strongest energy, but the onshore wind ruins it. The water is very warm, which is weird, but it doesn’t help the waves. This is a spot that’s "fairly consistent," but it’s having a blank run. Forecasts can change, so don’t lose all hope, but for now, I’d leave the board at home and maybe grab a kite.

Rusty.

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