Playa Santa Catalina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey crew, Rusty here. Let’s talk Playa Santa Catalina.

We’re starting off small but clean, and the real deal shows up in early September. Water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year.

Monday August 24th morning: 0.4m of SSW groundswell, but with a wild 18-second period. That’s proper energy in a tiny package (212 combined energy). Wind is light cross-offshore from the NNW – clean conditions. Grab it early before the afternoon cross-on from the WSW messes it up.

Tuesday August 25th morning: glassy, 0.4m at 16 seconds. The waves are ordinary but the surface is smooth. A session for the patient soul.

Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th mornings: same story – small, glassy, but surfable. Nothing to write home about, but you’ll get wet.

Friday August 28th morning: 0.4m at 16 seconds, cross-offshore NE wind, clean. Combined energy 206 – moderate. A decent little session before the southerly hits.

Now the good stuff. Saturday August 29th morning: 0.9m, 16-second SSW groundswell, offshore NNE wind, clean. Energy hits 499 (moderate-strong). That’s the first real bump.

Sunday August 30th morning: glassy, 1.0m at 14 seconds, energy 487. That’s a clean, solid morning. Still manageable for most surfers, but 1.0m is getting a bit much for total beginners.

Monday August 31st morning: 0.8m, 13 seconds, cross-offshore ENE wind, clean. A good backup.

Tuesday September 1st morning: dead calm, glassy, 0.8m at 12 seconds. Pristine.

Wednesday September 2nd morning: calm, glassy, 0.4m at 18 seconds – ridiculous deep period. That groundswell will wrap around the point nicely.

Now the gold. Thursday September 3rd morning: 1.0m at 13 seconds, glassy, energy 533 (strong). That is a high-quality morning session. The standout.

Friday September 4th morning: 0.9m at 18 seconds, glassy calm, energy 704 (strong). That’s classic long-period groundswell – best on a point. The afternoon gets sideshore, but the morning is prime.

Saturday September 5th and Sunday September 6th mornings: 1.2m SSW at 16 and 15 seconds, glassy, energy strong at 748 and 646. Peak swell. 1.2m is solid – expert territory for the bigger end, but intermediates can handle it on the point.

Monday September 7th morning: 1.0m at 15 seconds, glassy, energy 562. Another beauty. Tuesday September 8th morning winds down: 1.0m at 14 seconds, cross-offshore NE, clean, energy 503.

Crowds at Playa Santa Catalina are “sometimes” an issue – it’s no secret spot. But those glassy mornings with the optimum SSW swell direction are worth a bit of a lineup.

If you’re picking one day, make it Thursday September 3rd morning or Saturday September 5th morning. The direction is perfect, the period is solid, and the wind is glassy. That’s as good as it gets.

Rusty.

Read more