Point Dume Little Dume Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a slow one on our hands for the next couple of weeks. The surf window’s looking pretty slim, so we’re gonna have to be patient.

Let’s start with the only game in town for this whole forecast: Point Dume Little Dume. It’s an exposed point break that needs a southerly swell to really light up. The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is a good 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a big anomaly, so expect a comfortable bath compared to normal.

The first week and a half is a tough watch. From Friday the 21st all the way through to Tuesday the 1st of September, the surf is pretty much flat or offering nothing but poor conditions. You’re looking at tiny swells around 1 ft to 2 ft, mostly from the SSW or SW, with combined wave energy that’s weak, often in the low hundreds (159 to 318) and tagged as “poor”. The winds are a constant cross-on or onshore, keeping the surface messy. There are a few mornings, like Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th, where it’s at least “marginal” with a score of 1, but that’s about as good as it gets – a very small 2 ft to 2 ft swell with light onshore wind (3 mph). Honestly, not worth paddling out for unless you just want a float.

We finally get a pulse of energy rolling in on Wednesday the 26th. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the S, with a period of 14 seconds and combined energy jumping into the strong range (1091). That’s a proper long-period groundswell. Even then, conditions are only “marginal” with a score of 3 thanks to light cross-on breeze.

The real standouts – and I'm being careful here – appear in the second week. Looking at Friday the 4th of September and Saturday the 5th of September, we have a solid 5 ft swell from the SSE, with a period of 15-16 seconds and very strong wave energy (around 1500-1618). That’s the best size and power on offer. The wind on Friday morning is light and cross-shore, which is about as clean as it gets for a point like this. It’s still classed as “marginal” (score 3), but that’s the best call of the whole run. Saturday the 5th is similar, but with a cross-on wind in the afternoon. Keep in mind, at 5 ft it’s pushing into “too big for beginners” territory, but for an intermediate surfer this is the window to circle. On a point break like Dume, that long period of 15 seconds can produce some nice lines, but because it's a longer-period groundswell, it might swing a bit too straight on the sandier sections. It'll have more energy between sets though, making the paddle out easier.

The gap before that is a long, dry spell. From the 21st of August right through to the 3rd of September, don't expect much. The good news is, with a few solid "marginal" calls peaking at 3/10 around the 4th and 5th, the area isn't completely dead – forecasts can shift. But right now, the 4th and 5th of September are your best bet, and even then, it’s a gamble on conditions aligning. If the wind plays ball, that's the morning to be there.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the wind, and I’ll see you out there.

Rusty.

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