Sixtynine Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, crew, Rusty here. Let’s be real with you. The next couple of weeks are going to test your patience if you’re chasing waves. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny surf ahead, so let’s break it down day by day.

The outlook starts off flat and stays that way for a while. The first real chance of anything rideable doesn’t show up until Thursday, August 20th, and even then, it’s barely a ripple. The swell energy during this whole period is weak, mostly in the 10 to 73 range, which tells you there’s just nothing pushing through. The prevailing winds are mostly cross or offshore, which means the ocean surface will be clean, but with waves this small, it’s a lake out there.

From Friday, August 14th through Wednesday, August 19th, it’s a total write-off. Swell heights are stuck at 0.7ft to 1ft from the west or west-northwest with short, weak periods. There’s a bit of cross-chop on Friday morning, but it cleans up quickly. The only thing worth noting is the glassy conditions on Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon, but with nothing to ride, that’s just a nice paddle.

The first glimmer of hope arrives Thursday, August 20th in the afternoon. The wind goes glassy and we get a tiny bump of 1ft from the southwest, with a period of 17 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, so it’s got some push, but the height just isn't there. The energy is still weak at 71. It’s surfable but very ordinary. Mostly, you’re looking for a knee-high wave if you’re desperate.

After that, we slip back into a poor spell. Friday, August 21st and Saturday, August 22nd have some onshore wind and cross-chop messing things up. The swell stays tiny and disorganized. Sunday, August 23rd afternoon goes glassy again with another 1ft from the southwest, but it's just not enough to get excited about.

The following week, from Monday, August 24th through Saturday, August 29th, shows a similar pattern. We see small west and west-northwest swells, mostly 1ft, with a few 1ft pulses on Wednesday morning and Thursday morning. The periods are often short, dipping to 9-10 seconds, which means even less energy. The wind is mostly light, with some moderate cross-shore breezes on Monday, but generally, it’s clean. The standout, if you can call it that, is Thursday, August 27th morning when we get a 1ft west swell with a 12-second period and light cross-on wind. The energy jumps to 47, which is the best of the week, but it’s still small.

Let’s be straight: none of these days are worth planning your life around. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The best options are the glassy windows with any hint of swell, like the 20th or 27th, but they’re marginal at best. If you’re a beginner, these tiny 1ft waves are okay to mess around on, but they’re not going to give you much push. The periods on the 20th are long, so look for a point or reef if you can, but the size is a major limiting factor.

This is a true flat spell. If you see a 1ft blip on Thursday the 27th, grab a longboard and a lot of patience. Otherwise, it’s a good time to do some maintenance on your boards.

Rusty out.

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