Playa Santa Catalina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the surf ahead for Playa Santa Catalina. We've got a solid run of clean swell on the horizon, so let's get into it.

The overall pattern kicks off with a nice pulse of long-period groundswell arriving right away. We're looking at a consistent SSW swell holding through the first week, with plenty of glassy mornings to make the most of it. The standout here is the Tuesday morning session on the 7th of July, where we see the wave energy jumping up to 4ft on a long 18-second period from the SSW. The energy reading clocks in at a meaty 1134, and with light NNE breezes keeping it cross-offshore, it’s going to be firing. This spot is a very consistent point break, advanced-level, so it’s for experienced crew only at that size. The water temp is sitting at 86°, a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

Let’s break it down day by day. Saturday the 4th, we start with a 3ft SSW swell, period of 15 seconds, and light NNW winds making for clean cross-off conditions. Good energy at 538. Sunday morning the 5th is also clean, with 3ft SSW swell and NE winds, but the afternoon gets chopped up by onshore SE winds. Monday the 6th morning holds clean at 3ft with a very long 20-second period in the afternoon, but that comes with cross-onshore wind, so morning is the call.

Then Tuesday the 7th morning is the highlight: 4ft SSW, 18-second period, clean cross-off winds, and that strong energy reading of 1134. The afternoon turns a bit lumpy with cross-onshore winds. Wednesday the 8th morning is clean again, a touch smaller at 4ft but with offshore N winds keeping it smooth. Thursday the 9th morning is glassy, 3ft at 15 seconds – perfect for a dawny. Friday the 10th morning has offshore N winds and 3ft swell, still clean. Saturday the 11th morning is cross-off and clean with 4ft, but the afternoon goes to onshore rubbish.

Into the second week, the surf holds but the afternoons continue to get messy. Sunday the 12th has a glassy morning at 3ft. Monday the 13th starts glassy with 3ft. Tuesday the 14th is cross-off in the morning with 3ft. Wednesday the 15th, Thursday the 16th, and Friday the 17th all feature glassy or near-calm mornings with chest-to-shoulder high swell around 2ft to 3ft. By the end of the run, we see another nice glassy morning on Saturday the 19th of July with 3ft and a 16-second period from SSW – a good way to wrap things up. Afternoons are consistently blown out with onshore SW winds and rain risks, so the morning windows are where it’s at.

No standout that’s too big for the advanced crew, but Tuesday the 7th is your best bet for punchy, clean waves at Playa Santa Catalina.

Rusty

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