Sao Jacinto Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the outlook for Sao Jacinto over the next 16 days is a tough one. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing special, but there is a glimmer of something worth paddling out for later on.

The forecast starts with a tiny bit of swell on Tuesday morning, 14 July. It’s only 1ft of WNW swell with a period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy is a weak 47. The wind is glassy though, dead calm, so the water is going to be like a mirror. The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is about normal for this time of year. But honestly, it’s barely surfable – just a little knee-high bump. It’s not enough to get excited about.

After that, we sink into a real dry spell. From Tuesday afternoon all the way through to the end of July, the forecasts are filled with “poor surf conditions.” The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, the swell is tiny – mostly 1ft to 2ft – and the periods are short, down to 5 or 6 seconds. The energy is weak, with values mostly in the 30s and 40s. That’s a barren run of about 10 days with nothing worth recommending.

The first real sign of life shows up on Wednesday afternoon, 22 July. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the W with a period of 8 seconds, and the energy jumps to 105 – that’s our first moderate reading. Still, the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, so it’s choppy. Not a standout.

The highlight, and I mean the only one that gets my heart beating, is Friday morning, 24 July. The swell is 3ft from the WNW with a period of 12 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is a solid 237. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, so it’s fairly choppy, but it’s the best we’ve got. This is a surfable wave, with a bit of push and shape, especially for a sandbar break. The break is a beginner-friendly sandbar, but it’s inconsistent, so you’ll be waiting for sets. And crowds are possible, so keep an eye out.

From Saturday, 25 July, the swell gets bigger – 5ft on the Saturday morning, with energy at 562 – but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore all day, and conditions are described as poor. It’s a shame, because there’s size there, but it’s messy. The period drops to 10 seconds, so it’s less refined.

The last few days of the forecast, from 27 to 29 July, keep seeing swell around 4ft to 6ft, with energy up in the 300s to 500s, but the wind never lets up – it’s cross-onshore or onshore, and the period is mostly 8 to 10 seconds. The water is going to be a chop factory. On Wednesday morning, 29 July, we get a marginal call with a 4ft WNW swell at 10 seconds and a light cross-onshore, but it’s still not clean.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet is Friday morning, 24 July, at Sao Jacinto. It’s the only day with a decent swell, good period, and the least offensive wind. Everything else is a write-off or a gamble on chop. Keep your wetsuit handy, because the water is cool, but the waves are mostly not worth the paddle.

Rusty.

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