Rincon - Indicator Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, talkin’ surf. The next couple of weeks for Rincon - Indicator are lean, real lean. If you’re a point break surfer, you’ll need to dig deep for patience.

The 16-day run starts flat. From Sunday, August 23rd, right through the morning of Thursday, September 3rd, it’s a long stretch of tiny, weak, and mostly onshore junk. Swell heights are barely 1 ft to 3 ft, with periods all over the place – short chop mixed with some long-period spindles that just don’t have any grunt. The combined energy is weak to moderate, bouncing between 56 and 399 – and even at 399, the wave comment is “marginal.” Wind is light onshore or cross-onshore, never clean. The water temp is 70° – that’s a whopping 6° warmer than normal, which is very unusual for this time of year. Feels like a bathtub, but the surf is a desert.

The first real glimmer is Thursday morning, September 3rd. Swell hits 2 ft from the SSW with a very long period of 21 seconds, and combined energy is 448. Wind is light onshore. Those long-period lines might wrap in, but the wave comment still says “poor surf conditions.” You’re looking at a long wait for a knee-high set.

Friday, September 4th morning, is similar: 3 ft SSW swell, 18-second period, energy of 486, light onshore wind. Score is a 1 out of 10, still “marginal.” The wind goes cross-onshore in the afternoon. Not the day.

The real standout is Monday morning, September 7th. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, from the SSW at 3 mph. The swell is 2 ft from the SSW, period 16 seconds, and combined energy is 272 (moderate). The wave comment finally says “expect good surf conditions,” and it scores a 2 out of 10 – the best in the whole window. For a point break, that long-period SSW groundswell will wrap in like a dream, and the glassy surface will be perfect. Crowds are “often” at Rincon, so expect company. It’s small, so bring a longboard, but for the advanced crew, it’s a clean, lined-up session.

What about the rest? Tuesday, September 1st, is a washout. Wednesday, September 2nd, has a 4 ft swell from the W with a short, weak 6-second period – wind slop, energy of 184. Thursday, September 3rd afternoon sees the highest energy in the run: 629 from a 2 ft SSW swell, 20-second period, but the wind is cross-onshore and it’s labelled “poor surf conditions.” All that energy wasted on a messy surface.

So here’s the deal: the first week is a total blank. The second week has a few marginal windows, but Monday, September 7th morning is the one to circle. Clean, glassy, long-period energy, and a point break that knows how to handle it. It’s small, but it’s the only session worth paddling for. Don’t hold your breath for anything else.

This is Rusty, out.

Read more