Redondo Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Redondo Beach over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a test of patience. The first week and a half is really flat and pretty lackluster, with clean windows that are too small to get excited about. The energy just isn't there to push anything worthwhile, and the onshore winds keep spoiling the afternoons. Things start to look a little more promising from the 16th, but even then, it’s only the mornings that offer a chance. Then, bang – a total surprise shows up on the 20th of September, a real wildcard worth keeping an eye on.

Right now, the water temp is about average for the time of year. Not warm, not cold, just... in the middle.

Starting off, Tuesday the 8th is a write-off. We’ve got a weak 2 ft SSW swell, but with a 6 mph onshore westerly, it’s blown out and messy. The combined energy is a paltry 275 (weak) – nothing doing.

The next few days are a grind. Swell stays small, under 3 ft, mostly from the SW, with periods ranging from 13 to 19 seconds. That long period keeps the lines a little more organised, but the onshore and cross-onshore winds ruin any chance of clean faces. The best of a bad bunch might be Thursday morning the 10th, with a cross-offshore SSE breeze at 6 mph and a 2 ft SW swell (17-second period, combined energy 326 – moderate). It’ll be clean with that wind, but the size is tiny, so it’s more of a longboard grovel than a proper session.

Friday the 11th morning is similar, clean again with a cross-offshore SE wind and 2 ft SW swell (16-second period, 277 energy), but again, really marginal.

We then hit a rough patch from the 12th all the way through to the 15th. The swell drops further, down to 1 ft to 2 ft, and the energy plummets into the low 100s (moderate to weak on some days, like 99 on the 13th afternoon). Winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, occasionally clean in the morning, but there’s no power to make it worth a paddle.

Finally, a flicker of hope on Wednesday the 16th of September morning. It’s clean with a cross-offshore SE breeze at 9 mph, and the swell bumps up to 2 ft from the SSW, period 17 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 240 (moderate). A small window, but you could get a few clean ones. The Thursday the 17th morning looks similar – 2 ft SSW, 16-second period, clean cross-offshore wind, energy at 305 (moderate). Again, not big, but rideable and tidy.

Then comes the standout. Sunday the 20th of September morning is the only real event in the whole forecast. We’ve got a lumpy 6 ft short-period (7 seconds) swell from the WNW, combined energy of 969 (strong). The wind is just a light 3 mph southerly, described as a slight air and cross-shore. This isn’t classic groundswell; the short period means it'll be a bit jumbled and walled-up at a beach break like Redondo. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than a clean paddle session. For the surfer, it’s big enough that only experienced paddlers should be out there, and the short period will make it punchy and a bit chaotic. It’s a raw, real power day, not a pretty one.

After that, the 21st and 22nd slip back into small, onshore-affected choppiness, with a bit of a bigger mop-up on the 21st (3 ft SW, 462 energy – moderate), but the onshores are back.

The very last entry is Wednesday the 23rd of September morning. We've got glassy conditions with a slight air from the SW, virtually no wind. The swell is a tiny 2 ft from the SW, period 16 seconds, combined energy 214 (moderate). It's the cleanest window of the whole run, but the size is barely a ripple. A total knee-board special, but if the ocean is flat glass, it’s a beautiful thing to see.

So, to sum it up: mostly quiet with a couple of clean, tiny windows, and one big, raw, short-period swell on the 20th. Keep your expectations low and your eyes on the wind.

Rusty.

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