Rat Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.81° N 118.40° W

Rat Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 17 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rat Beach sea temperature is
21.4° C
2.6° 

Rat Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Rat Beach surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 18s period, SW swell with 155 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period with W swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rat Beach this week:

The surf forecast for Rat Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Rat Beach in the next 16 days are 0.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 14s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 19th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 6s
Best Surf 2AM (Wed 19th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 6s
Most Powerful 5AM (Mon 24th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 18s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rat Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

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

First thing you need to know: the water is sitting at a warm 71°, which is a solid 5° warmer than usual for this time of year. That's a big deal, mate – it’s much warmer than normal, so you can get away with a thinner suit.

Honestly, the outlook for the next couple of weeks is a bit of a struggle. The swell is just tiny, mostly hanging around 1 to 3 feet, and it's coming from the west or southwest. The real killer is the period – for the first week, it's a short, weak windswell at 5 to 6 seconds. There's just no push in it. The combined energy is weak for most of it, only occasionally hitting moderate numbers like 103 on the 18th afternoon or 136 on the 23rd morning, but the wave quality is still described as poor. There's a big gap of days with no real recommendation, just a few mornings with "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" scoring a 1.

Your best bet across this whole 16-day stretch? You have to wait. The mornings of Thursday, August 22nd and Friday, August 23rd are the standouts. On Thursday the 22nd, early morning looks glassy with a light cross-off breeze from the SSE and a 1 ft swell from the southwest at a long 19 seconds. That long period (groundswell) will bring some shape, but on a reef setup like Rat Beach, it should be okay. The combined energy hits 136 – that's moderate energy. Then Friday morning the 23rd is similar, with a clean 1 ft swell from the SW at 18 seconds and 124 energy. These are the only times where the conditions line up to be clean and the swell has some decent period. After that, the energy drops again.

For the rest of the time, the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore from the west, making things choppy. The swell is too small and weak to offer anything fun. If you’re a beginner, the swell never gets above 5 ft, so the size isn't an issue, but the lack of quality and power is.

So to wrap it up: don't get your hopes up until the morning of the 22nd or 23rd. The rest is a write-off. The forecasts can always change, but right now, it's a waiting game.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Mon afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun morning, min 21°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Mon
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
W
5
0.8
W
6
0.8
W
6
0.9
W
6
0.8
W
6
0.7
W
6
0.5
W
6
0.5
W
5
0.3
SW
19
0.2
W
12
0.2
W
12
0.3
SW
18
0.3
SW
18
0.3
SW
17
0.3
SW
18
0.3
SW
18
0.3
SW
19
0.4
SW
19
0.4
SW
18
0.4
SW
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
27
45
50
66
50
37
17
14
56
14
11
50
49
47
50
50
58
127
111
112
Wind (km/h)
20
W
5
S
10
S
15
W
10
S
5
SSW
15
W
5
S
10
S
10
SSW
10
SSE
10
SSW
15
SW
5
SSE
5
SW
15
WSW
5
SSW
10
SSE
15
WSW
5
SW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
1:49AM1.36m
1:53PM1.88m
3:42AM1.21m
2:45PM1.83m
3:57PM1.81m
8:34AM1.36m
5:14PM1.84m
8:37AM1.43m
6:15PM1.92m
8:52AM1.49m
7:02PM2.01m
Low Tide
8:04PM0.79m
6:57AM0.97m
9:30PM0.80m
7:13AM1.13m
11:10PM0.74m
00:27AM0.64m
10:14AM1.35m
1:18AM0.53m
12:01PM1.32m
1:56AM0.42m
12:56PM1.25m
2:27AM0.34m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:16
6:18
6:18
6:18
6:20
6:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:37
7:36
7:35
7:34
7:31
7:30
7:30
 mm
Temp °C
21
21
22
23
22
23
23
22
23
23
22
23
23
23
24
24
23
25
24
23
Feels °C
19
20
23
23
22
25
23
22
24
23
23
24
23
25
24
23
23
25
24
24
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Rat Beach Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Rat Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rat Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rat Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Rat Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Rat Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Rat Shit is 5 km (3 miles) from Redondo Beach. If you plan a vacation in Los Angeles County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Redondo Beach. Redondo Beach has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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