Playa Santa Catalina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Playa Santa Catalina. This is a point break that’s very consistent and exposed to the south-southwest, so it knows how to handle a bit of direction. The water’s sittin’ at a warm 85° and feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is a nice bonus.

The first few days are a bit of a tease. Tuesday morning, the 1st of September, kicks off with a glassy 3ft SSW swell, period a solid 12 seconds, and the energy is moderate at 247. That’s a clean start, but the afternoon gets ruined by a cross-on wind. Wednesday morning, the 2nd, cleans up with a light cross-off breeze and the same 3ft SSW swell, but the period jumps to 13 seconds. The morning is your window. Thursday morning, the 3rd, is another glassy one with the same 3ft, 12-second swell, energy building to 404. The pattern is morning glass, afternoon chop.

Now, here’s the standout. Friday morning, the 4th of September. This is the one. We’ve got 3ft of clean SSW swell, period stretching to 17 seconds. That’s groundswell territory, and for a point break like this, that’s poetry. The combined energy hits 703, which is solid moderate-to-strong. Winds are light and cross-off, so the face will be clean. This is the best of the forecast. The wave comment says very good, and I feel it. Saturday morning, the 5th, is a close second: 4ft of SSW swell, 16-second period, and a light cross-off wind. Energy is 778. That’s a powerful, clean morning. Afternoons, though, get a risk of thunderstorms and a cross-on wind, so get out early.

The next week settles into a rhythm of glassy mornings, with the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th all offering 2ft to 3ft of swell, mostly in the 14-18 second range. The 10th morning is a real gem: 3ft, 14 seconds, glassy, and energy at 539. The 14th morning is a freak: 1ft of swell but a 19-second period, glassy as a mirror. That’s a long-period groundswell that will wrap in beautifully, but it’s small. The 16th morning brings a clean 2ft, 17-second swell from the SSW, energy at 305. It’s a solid end to the run.

This is a spot where the mornings are gold, and the afternoons are mostly a write-off. But for a point break that’s this consistent, and with that Friday morning and Saturday morning as the highlights, you’d be foolish to miss it. Get out there for the early glass.

Rusty.

Read more