Playa Santa Catalina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu.

We're looking at a stretch that starts off pretty flat and ordinary. The water is running a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 86°, which is a bit of a treat if you're not wearing a steamer.

The first few days, from the 1st right through to the 6th of August, are pretty much a write-off. We're talking tiny waves, onshore crud, and a lot of stormy-looking skies. You’d be wrestling with wind ripples for a knee-high slop. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, things start to get interesting on the morning of Friday the 7th. That’s when a pulse of groundswell pushes in from the SSW, hitting 3ft but with a solid 13-second period. The combined energy jumps up to 576 (moderate wave energy), and you’ve got a light cross-off breeze from the NE keeping the surface clean. Playa Santa Catalina, a very consistent point break, will start to show some proper lines. It’s a spot that handles the SSW swell direction well. This is a standout morning – the best of the whole run. The crowd factor is listed as "sometimes," so you might have a few friends out, but it’s not a circus.

The trend holds through the weekend and into the next week. The mornings are consistently the best bet. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th both offer clean 3ft to 3ft SSW swell with that same clean offshore flow. The energy stays in the moderate range (around 340-470). Monday the 10th morning is another cracker, with a light offshore wind and 3ft of SSW swell.

The pattern does shift a little into the second week. The swell backs off a touch, but the quality remains good on the mornings. Tuesday the 12th morning sees a gentle offshore breeze with 3ft of SSW swell. Thursday the 13th afternoon turns glassy with 2ft of clean, long-period swell. Friday the 14th morning brings a very long-period 19-second SSW groundswell at 1ft – that’s a super long wait between sets, but the ones that come through will be lined up perfectly at this point, especially with a 15 mph offshore wind.

The standout to get excited about is undeniably the Friday morning, the 7th of August. That’s the one with the best combination of size, clean conditions, and moderate energy. The next best would be the mornings of the 8th, 9th, and 10th – all offering clean, surfable waves.

So, in short: there’s a bit of a flat spell at the start, but then it turns on for a solid run of good morning sessions. Don't sleep on the 7th.

Rusty.

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