Salinas River State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down.

To be honest, the next couple of weeks are a real slow burn. The first half of the period is a total dud, with four or five days of flat, choppy junk. The first decent shot at a wave doesn’t show up until Sunday the 9th, and it’s nothing to get amped about. Water temp at Salinas River State Beach is 59°F, which is dead normal for this time of year – nothing weird there.

For the whole 16-day run, we’ve got a constant light cross-onshore breeze messing up the surface. Wave energy is mostly in the low to mid hundreds – weak to moderate – and never really gets pumping.

From Tuesday the 4th through Saturday the 8th, don’t bother. We’re talking knee-high slop from the WNW and SW, with periods around 8-9 seconds. Energy stays under 300. Total washout.

Sunday morning the 9th, we finally see a pulse: 4ft from the WNW at 10 seconds. Energy hits 514 – moderate. It’s still cross-on and rated “marginal,” but it’s the first real option. Monday the 10th morning bumps up to 5ft from the WNW (542 energy), but still with that light onshore crud.

The one session to circle on your calendar is the morning of Saturday the 15th. We’ve got 3ft from the SSW, but the period stretches to 16 seconds – long-period groundswell. Energy is strong at 608. The catch? It’s a long-period SSW swell hitting a W-exposed beach, so it’ll wrap in. If that light cross-on stays light, you might score some clean, lined-up waves. For the advanced crew, this is the one.

Otherwise, it’s mostly poor or marginal. The week of the 12th through the 18th offers some marginal tags with 2-3ft swells and periods in the 14-16 second range, but that onshore breeze keeps it messy for paddle surfing. This exposed beach setup with steady cross-onshore wind at 6-9 mph might actually be better for kite surfing than for a shortboard.

Bottom line: the morning of Saturday the 15th is your best bet. The rest is a whole lot of waiting.

Rusty.

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