Punta Descanso Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I've got a look at the Punta Descanso stretch for the next couple of weeks. We've got a solid run of fun, clean conditions building, especially for the mornings. The water is sitting at 89°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the wetsuit at home.

The first real chance to get wet is Wednesday afternoon, August 5th, but don't get too excited. The swell is a tiny 2ft from the SW, and with a light onshore breeze, it's going to be pretty poor. The combined energy is weak (219), so it's a hard pass.

Thursday morning, August 6th, is where it starts to look up. The swell is still small at 2ft from the SW, but the wind is a light cross-offshore from the N. That'll clean things up nicely. The energy is picking up (325) and it's looking like a fun little session on a longboard.

Friday morning, August 7th, is the first real standout. The swell is a clean 3ft from the SSW, and the wind is glassy – dead flat calm. That's going to be perfect, clean lines. The wave energy is strong (925), and with a 18-second period, this is proper groundswell. It’ll have some punch but long gaps between sets. This is the best option on offer early on.

Saturday morning, August 8th, is another winner. The swell holds at 4ft from the SSW, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNW. The energy is still strong (811), and the waves will be clean and well-shaped. Another solid morning.

Sunday morning, August 9th, is glassy again with a 4ft SSW swell. The energy is a bit more moderate (541), but with zero wind, you can't ask for much better conditions. Monday morning, August 10th, echoes that with glassy conditions and a 3ft SSW swell (585 energy). The mornings are the clear winners here.

Tuesday morning, August 11th, is another clean one with 3ft SSW swell and a cross-offshore breeze (854 energy). The pattern keeps repeating. Wednesday morning, August 12th, is the same story: 3ft SSW swell, cross-offshore wind (503 energy). Thursday morning, August 13th, brings a clean 3ft SW swell with a light offshore wind from the N (681 energy).

Now, here's the big call. Friday morning, August 14th, the swell jumps up to 5ft from the SW. The energy is massive (1566), and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNW. This is excellent surf, but at 5ft, it's getting into the territory where it's better for experienced surfers. The 18-second period will make it powerful and walled up at the beach, so keep that in mind. This is the standout of the entire forecast.

Saturday morning, August 15th, is still strong with a 5ft SW swell (1179 energy) and a clean cross-offshore breeze. Excellent for the experienced crew again. Sunday morning, August 16th, sees it drop back to a nice 4ft SSW swell with glassy conditions (698 energy) – a great option for a wider range of surfers.

The second week keeps the theme going. Monday morning, August 17th, is glassy with 4ft SW swell (531 energy). Tuesday morning, August 18th, has a clean 4ft SW swell with a cross-offshore breeze (599 energy). Wednesday morning, August 19th, is glassy with 3ft SSW swell (504 energy). Thursday morning, August 20th, finishes the run with a clean 4ft SSW swell and cross-offshore wind (597 energy).

The afternoons across the whole period are generally a write-off with cross-onshore or onshore winds chopping things up. Stick to the dawn patrol. The crowds at Punta Descanso can be around sometimes, so expect a few others with the same idea on those clean mornings, especially the standouts.

This is a long run of good, clean swell. The real highlight is Friday morning, August 14th, for the bigger, more powerful stuff. For the rest of us, any of those glassy or cross-offshore mornings are pure gold.

Rusty.

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