Point Loma Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks for Point Loma. It’s a sheltered beach-and-reef setup that needs a good SW swell to light up, and right now, it’s got a bit of a slow start before things get interesting.

First thing you’ll notice: the water is sitting at 73°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 5°F above average. That’s a treat and you’ll feel it.

We kick off Thursday morning, September 3rd, with a small 2ft SW swell, but it’s a long-period groundswell at 15 seconds. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze, so it’s clean but weak. The energy is low (355), so it’s more of a paddle-out than a session. Thursday afternoon, the wind swings offshore and the swell bumps up to 3ft with a 18-second period, and the energy jumps to moderate (512). That’s your first real “go” – clean, offshore, and that long period will wrap around the point nicely.

Friday morning, September 4th, is a standout. The swell holds at 3ft from the SW, 17-second period, with light cross-offshore winds. The energy is solid (626) and the conditions are clean. This is a classic Point Loma morning: not too big, not too crowded (though crowds are sometimes here), and that long period means the reef will shape it up. Friday afternoon gets a bit more wind and drops to a 1/5 rating, but it’s still clean.

The weekend builds. Saturday, September 5th, sees 3ft SW swell with offshore NW winds all day. The energy is pushing into the 800-900 range, which is moderate and punchy. It’s clean, consistent, and the swell direction is right on the optimum. Sunday, September 6th, is the real highlight of the first week. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SSW, period drops to 14 seconds, but the energy is strong (1295-1448). Offshore winds all day, clean faces. This is the best on offer – a solid head-high plus, with that reef handling the longer period. It’s not for beginners at 6ft, but for advanced surfers, it’s a gem.

Monday, September 7th, holds similar size at 6ft with offshore winds, but the energy starts to edge back. Still very good, just not the peak. Tuesday, September 8th, drops to 5ft, and by Wednesday, September 9th, we’re back to 4ft with offshore winds and a long 16-second period. The energy is moderate (478-513) but clean.

From Thursday, September 10th, through the weekend, the swell hangs around 3ft to 3ft with cross-offshore or offshore winds. Consistent, clean, but small. The period stays long (15-16 seconds), so the reef will give you a nice little reel. Not a standout, but a solid run of surfable days.

Then we hit Monday, September 14th, and it goes flat. The swell drops to 2ft, and the energy is weak (221-359). The wind is cross-offshore, but there’s just no push. This lull runs through Tuesday, September 15th, and into Wednesday morning, September 16th. That’s a gap of about two and a half days of pretty ordinary conditions.

Things pick up again Wednesday afternoon, September 16th, with 3ft SW swell and offshore winds. The energy comes back (449-504). Thursday, September 17th, sees a 2ft swell with a 21-second period – that’s super long period, prone to breaking straight at the beach, but on the reef, it’ll stack up nicely. The energy is moderate (487). Friday, September 18th, is the best of the second week: 3ft SW swell, 19-second period, offshore winds, and energy jumping to 745. Clean, lined-up, and that long period will make the paddling out easy between sets.

The true standouts in this whole run are Sunday, September 6th, for the size and power, and then Friday, September 18th, for the quality and cleanliness. The water is warm, the winds are mostly favorable, and Point Loma delivers when the SW swell is in the zone.

Rusty.

Read more