Pine Trees (Sunset) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about the waves ahead. It’s a bit of a slow burn to start, but there’s some serious potential waiting for us if we’re patient.

The first few days are pretty much a write-off. We’ve got a big, strong SW groundswell showing up, but the wind is howling out of the southeast at 28 mph. That’s going to turn Pine Trees (Sunset) into a messy, cross-chop nightmare. The water’s sitting at 80°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a hood. But honestly, Sunday and Monday are not worth your time. The energy is huge – we’re talking over 7000 for combined swell energy – but it’s just gonna be blown apart. It’s close to 12 ft, and that’s too much for anyone but experts, and even they won't have fun in that.

Tuesday and Wednesday start to ease off a little, but it’s still lumpy and the wind, while dropping, is still a fresh breeze. The swell drops to around 8 ft, but the conditions are still marginal. You’d be scratching for a shitty one.

Now, Thursday morning looks like the first real glimmer of hope. The wind drops right out, turning light and cross-off, and we still have a solid 7 ft SW swell with a 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell, and it should start cleaning up the reef nicely. The energy is still moderate, around 2046, but it’s clean. The afternoon looks even better with the wind going light easterly. This is the first session that’s worth paddling out for.

Friday and Saturday are a letdown. The swell backs right off, dropping below 3 ft by Saturday, and the wind swings back onshore-ish. It’s small and messy, a classic flat spell. We’ll have a few days of tiny, weak surf. The energy drops to the 300-500 range, so it’s really struggling.

Things start to get interesting again on Tuesday the 18th. We see a new pulse of long-period SW swell – 18 seconds! – and the wind goes light and variable. By the afternoon, it’s nearly glassy with a slight air. The swell is only 4 ft, but with that period, it’s going to have some push. This is looking like a proper, clean session on the reef. It’s a standout for the clean conditions.

There’s a bit of a funk on Wednesday the 19th, but then we get a serious kick of energy on Thursday the 20th. The swell jumps back up to 8 ft and then 10 ft, but the wind is cross-shore and onshore, so it’s going to be messy again. This is a lot of juice – energy over 3000 – but it’s not organized.

The real prize is at the end of the window. From Saturday the 22nd onwards, we start seeing that big SW swell with more favorable winds. Saturday afternoon looks clean with a cross-off breeze and 8 ft of swell. The energy is building, over 4000.

But the big one is Sunday the 23rd. We’re looking at 12 ft of SW groundswell with a 16-second period, and the wind is finally cooperating – a moderate cross-off breeze. The energy is pumping, over 5700. This is the standout of the whole run. It’s big, it’s clean, and it’s powerful. This is an expert-only day, but if you’re confident, this is the one you’ve been waiting for.

Monday the 24th looks like the cleanest of the whole period. The wind goes true offshore, light from the NE, and we still have a solid 8 ft SW swell. It’s not as big as Sunday, but the conditions will be absolutely perfect. This is probably the best combination of size and quality for experienced surfers. Don’t sleep on it.

So, to sum it up: don’t bother with the first week. Clean up starts on the 13th, but the real magic is the 18th, and then the big finale on the 23rd and 24th. That’s where the memories are made. The long-range stuff is looking promising, but it’s a week and a half out, so we’ll have to keep an eye on it.

Rusty out.

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