North Torrey Pines Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with ya – this is a tough stretch. We're looking at a fair few days of just tiny, weak waves that are barely worth paddling out for. The water's sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 71°F, which is nice for the skin, but that's about the only comfort we're getting.

The first real chance to get wet won't be until Friday, the 21st of August. Even then, it's a marginal call. Friday morning will see a small, clean 2ft SSW groundswell with a long 13-second period, and a light WSW breeze keeping it glassy. The combined wave energy is weak though, at only 255 (moderate energy). It's not gonna blow your mind, but for a beginner-friendly spot like this, it's something to get a few cobwebs out on. Friday afternoon drops off a bit more. Saturday the 22nd is similar, with a tiny 2ft to 3ft SSW swell, but the wind stays light and offshore, so the surface will be clean. Still, the energy is low (202 to 324 - moderate energy), so it's a longboard or a foamie kind of day.

Sunday the 23rd, the swell picks up a touch of period, hitting 19 seconds from the SW, but the height is still only 2ft. The energy starts to climb into the moderate range (361 to 413), but that long period on a beach break like this can make the waves a bit too straight and walled. The wind swings cross-on in the arvo, chopping it up. It's a pass.

We get a bit more size rolling in around Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th of August. Tuesday morning sees a 3ft S swell with a 15-second period, and the energy jumps to 776 (strong)! The wind is light offshore, so it should be clean. Still, the commentary says marginal, so keep your expectations in check. By Wednesday morning, the swell is up to 5ft from the S, with a 13-second period and a solid energy reading of 1147 (strong). That's the biggest we'll see in the whole window. However, the wind is a cross-on breeze from the SSW, which will put a bit of a chop on the face. This 5ft is getting towards the top end for beginners, so if you're not confident, maybe watch from the sand. For the more experienced, it might be the best of a bad bunch, but it's not a total standout.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is a bit of a blur of marginal and poor conditions. The swell drops back down, and the wind keeps swinging around, mostly cross-on. There's a long stretch from the 28th of August right through to the 5th of September where it's just not worth the effort. The energy is moderate at best, and the conditions are rarely clean. The 4th of September has a light 3 mph breeze and a 3ft SSW swell, but it's still a marginal call.

Honestly, the only window that's even worth a mention is a potential small window on Tuesday the 25th of August with the clean morning conditions and a little bit of push. If you're desperate, that's your best bet. The rest of the time, the forecast is just a lot of small, weak, or choppy junk. It's a frustrating run for a spot that usually has a bit more to offer. The east wind is the offshore here, and we just don't see it enough.

- Rusty

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