Point Loma Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s on offer.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid run of surf coming our way at Point Loma. It’s not massive, but it’s consistent and clean, with a nice long-period groundswell filling in. The water’s sitting at 71°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

The first good window opens Monday morning, July 20th. There’s a clean 3 ft swell from the SW with a very long period of 15 seconds, and the wind is light and cross-offshore. The combined swell energy is moderate (546) and it’s just a really pleasant, surfable wave. This continues through Monday afternoon with the same vibe.

Tuesday the 21st sees a little bump in size to 4 ft, still from the SW, period still a juicy 16 seconds, and light cross-offshore winds. The energy climbs a bit (629). Tuesday afternoon the wind shifts to a clean offshore, which is a major positive for that glassy, clean face.

Wednesday the 22nd holds in the 3 ft range with a long 15-second period. The wind is light to moderate, staying cross-offshore or offshore, making for clean conditions all day.

Thursday the 23rd is the first real standout of the week. The swell shifts slightly to the SSW and bumps up to 5 ft with a 13-second period. The energy is strong (817 in the afternoon) and the wind is offshore in the afternoon. This is a proper session for the advanced crew, as it’s solid but not out of control.

Friday the 24th morning is a very interesting one. The swell is only 2 ft, but look at that period – 24 seconds. That’s an incredibly long groundswell. The combined energy is still strong (1055) because of that period. At a beach-and-reef setup like Point Loma, that long period will likely wrap in nicely and offer clean, lined-up waves, especially with the light cross-offshore breeze. This is a special one for the early bird.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th is a mixed bag. Saturday the 25th stays clean with 2-3 ft from the SW and a very long period of 21 seconds. Good energy (884). But Sunday the 26th sees the wind turn cross-onshore from the S at 12-15 mph, and the surf gets choppy and messy. The wave quality drops off hard.

Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th are poor, with continued onshore winds and choppy, cross-onshore conditions. The swell is there but it’s ugly. Wednesday the 29th afternoon shows some improvement as the wind swings cross-offshore, cleaning things up for a session.

Then, we get to the real barn burner. Friday the 31st of July and Saturday the 1st of August. This is the standout window of the entire forecast. The swell jumps to 5 ft-7 ft from the SSW, with a 14-15 second period. The combined energy is very strong (1202 to 1609). The wind is light to moderate and cross-offshore. This is big, powerful, clean surf. At 6 ft to 7 ft, it’s for experienced surfers only. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

Sunday the 2nd of August backs off to a much more manageable 4 ft, with a gentle offshore wind in the morning. A good end to the run. After that, the energy drops off quickly into the first week of August, with smaller, weaker swells and less consistent conditions.

The only real gap in the action is the stretch from Sunday the 26th through Tuesday the 28th, where the wind kills the quality. It’s not a completely flat spell, but it’s not worth paddling out for.

For the best of the best, I’m pointing you at Friday the 24th morning for the freak long-period swell, and the Friday/Saturday run of July 31st and August 1st for the biggest, cleanest power of the whole outlook.

Rusty.

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