San Clemente State Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks for San Clemente State Park.

Right off the bat, it’s a frustrating start. The surf is there, but it’s just not coming together. The first few days from Sunday, the 19th, through to the end of the first week, we’re looking at some pretty weak, choppy conditions. The swell is tiny, around 3 ft to 4 ft, and it’s coming from the SW or SSW. The real problem is the wind. For most of that first week, it’s either a cross-onshore breeze or a light onshore flow, which is not helping to clean anything up. The water is a warm 71°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice bonus if you’re just floating around, but the waves are just not happening. The combined energy is moderate, ranging from 464 to 770, but it just feels like a lot of push with no real shape.

We hit a bit of a lull around the 24th and 25th. The swell drops to 2 ft to 3 ft, but the period jumps up to 24 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. For a beach break like San Clemente, that’s actually a bit of a curse. It’ll be super straight, fat, and hard to catch. The wind is light and offshore, so it’ll be glassy, but the waves will be too weak and gutless to do much with.

Things start to look a little more promising around the 27th of July. The swell bumps up to 4 ft-4 ft, and the period drops to a more manageable 18 seconds. The wind is still light and offshore, and the combined energy is climbing into the strong zone (1057-1162). This is the best call of the first week, but it’s still a “marginal” call. It’s for the more experienced surfers who can handle a little bit of a wait between sets.

The real standout, and the one to circle on your calendar, is the end of the month. Friday, the 31st of July, and into Saturday, the 1st of August, we see a proper pulse. Friday afternoon shows a solid 8 ft swell from the S, with a 15-second period. The combined energy hits 2579, which is strong to very strong energy. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect, but it’s workable. This is too big for beginners, and with that size on a beach break, it’s really only for the experts. The 6 ft-7 ft on the morning of the 31st and the 1st is also a solid option.

The second week really tails off. After that big push, we’re back to smaller, weaker swells with periods dropping into the 10-11 second range. The energy drops off a cliff, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore. It’s a pretty poor end to the 16-day window.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off for the most part. The best bet is the morning of the 27th or the afternoon of the 31st. The 31st is the biggest, but it’s for experts only. It’s a frustrating forecast for a spot that usually has a bit more juice.

Rusty.

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