Playa Santa Catalina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin'.

Alright, so for the next couple of weeks, the surf is going to be a bit of a mixed bag. There's some solid, long-period SSW groundswell on the way, but the wind and weather will be the real deciding factors on whether it's any good. The good news is that spot, Playa Santa Catalina, is a very consistent point break that loves that SSW direction, so it's our main focus.

Right off the bat, Tuesday the 28th isn't much to write home about. There's a clean 3ft SSW swell with a super long 17-second period, giving moderate wave energy (761), but the wind is on it from the south, so it's a bit of a write-off. The water is a toasty 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

Wednesday the 29th is where we start to see some light. The morning session is looking like the pick of the first week. We've got a clean 4ft SSW swell with a still-impressive 16-second period (736 energy), and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNE. That combo is going to set up some lovely, lined-up waves. It's small enough for intermediate surfers, but that long period means those sets will have some punch and you'll have nice lulls between them. This is a standout for the early part of the run.

Thursday the 30th morning could also be fun with a glassy 3ft SSW swell and an offshore breeze, but the energy drops a touch (462). Afternoon turns into a messy crossover from a storm risk.

We then hit a bit of a lull. From Friday the 31st of July through to the 6th of August, the swell drops right down. There are a few glassy mornings with tiny waves, but frankly, it's not worth paddling out for anything serious. Those south winds come and go, and the energy dips well into the weak zone. It's a quiet stretch.

Now, hang onto your boards. The second week has a couple of promising calls that are worth marking on your calendar. The morning of Friday the 7th of August sees a nice spike in energy (317) with a clean 2ft, 14-second SSW groundswell and offshore wind from the north. You’ll get some clean little runners.

But the real standout of the entire outlook is the morning of Saturday the 8th of August. This is the one to wait for. We’re looking at a solid 3ft SSW groundswell back up to a 16-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a solid moderate 525. The wind is a clean offshore from the NNE. That is a quality setup for a point break like this. It’s going to be clean, it’s got the power, and the sets will be worth the wait. The crowds are listed as just "sometimes" here, so you might have a decent chance at a few waves to yourself. This is the best on offer, no question.

Sunday the 9th holds some clean morning waves too with 3ft at 14 seconds, but the energy backs off a little.

So to wrap it up: the first week is hit-and-miss with Wednesday the 29th morning being your best early bet. Then a flat spell, then Friday the 7th is a good warm-up, but the clear winner is Saturday the 8th of August. Get on it.

Rusty.

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