Laguna Beach - South Crescent Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook for Laguna Beach - South Crescent Bay is a tough one. We’ve got a long stretch ahead with nothing really worth paddling out for. The first recommendation doesn’t even show up until Thursday the 3rd of September, and even then it’s a struggle.

We start on Thursday morning the 3rd with a tiny 2ft SW swell, but it’s on a 15-second period, so there’s some long-period energy in the water. Problem is, the wind is a cross-shore S at 9 mph, and the wave comment says it’s poor. Combined swell energy is weak at 248. Not worth getting wet for. The afternoon picks up a bit to 2ft from the SW, period 18 seconds, and energy jumps to 406 (moderate), but it’s onshore wind, poor surf. No joy.

Friday the 4th sees a slight improvement. Morning gives us 3ft from the SSW, 17-second period, with a cross-shore S wind at 9 mph – still just marginal. Combined energy is 631 (moderate). Afternoon is similar at 3ft, 16-second period, but with an onshore WSW breeze at 6 mph. Still marginal. Saturday the 5th is much the same: 3ft SSW, 16 seconds, onshore wind. Not exciting.

Sunday the 6th is where it gets a little interesting. Morning delivers 5ft from the S, 14-second period, with a light onshore SW breeze at 6 mph. Combined energy hits 944 (moderate, close to strong). The wave comment is still marginal, but this is the best we’ll see for a while. Afternoon bumps up to 5ft, same S direction, 14-second period, and energy goes over the threshold into strong at 1058, but the wind swings cross-onshore. Still, if you’re desperate, Sunday morning might offer a few lumpy ones.

Monday the 7th morning drops back to 4ft S swell, 13-second period, onshore wind, marginal. Afternoon pushes to 6ft from the SSW, 14-second period, with energy at 1219 (strong), but that onshore wind at 9 mph will chop it up. Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th fade quickly, with swell dropping to 3ft or less, periods shortening to 10-11 seconds, and energy falling. From there, it’s a long, flat gap.

From Thursday the 10th of September right through to Friday the 18th of September, the swell is tiny – 1ft to 3ft – with periods all over the place, and the combined energy sits below 500 most days, often below 300 (weak). Wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, and every single wave comment is “poor surf conditions.” There’s a notable spike on Thursday the 17th with a 22-second period and 1ft swell, energy 322, but that’s a ghost swell – nothing to ride. That’s a solid nine-day gap with nothing on offer.

So, the only standout – if you can call it that – is Sunday the 6th of September, morning. Swell at 5ft from the S, period 14 seconds, energy 944. It’s the biggest, most consistent pulse in the whole run. But the wind is onshore, so it’ll be lumpy and crumbly. This is a beach and reef setup that needs clean conditions to shine, and it’s not getting them. For intermediate surfers, it’s doable but not pretty. Beginners might find 5ft a bit much, especially with the chop. Crowds are often here, so expect company.

Water temperature’s about average for this time of year – nothing unusual to report.

To be honest, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. There are several days with decent side-onshore wind and moderate energy, like Sunday afternoon the 6th (5ft, 1058 energy) and Monday afternoon the 7th (6ft, 1219 energy). For a kite, that’s plenty of grunt. For a surfboard, it’s a struggle.

Keep an eye on the forecasts, though. Things can change. The break is fairly consistent, so a blank run like this is a bit of an outlier. I’m not writing it off entirely, but for the next two weeks, don’t hold your breath.

Rusty

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