Laguna Beach - South Crescent Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on offer for South Crescent Bay (Laguna Beach). Honestly, it’s a tough stretch ahead. This is a beach and reef setup, and we’ve got a long, drawn-out run of marginal to poor conditions for the next couple of weeks. The swell direction is locked in from the SSW most of the time, which is what this spot likes, but the wind is rarely doing us any favours. The water temp is sitting right about average for this time of year, nothing wild there.

The best we can hope for – and I’m being honest, it’s still only a marginal call – is Tuesday morning, 7 July. We’ve got a groundswell running with a 3ft swell from the SSW, and that long 18-second period will bring in some proper energy (728 combined energy). The wind is a light S at 6 mph, so it’s cross-on but only light cross-onshore with small wind ripples. It’s not clean, but it’s the cleanest of the bunch. That long period means the sets will be well-spaced, making the paddle out easier, and the waves should have decent shape. It’s a fairly exposed spot, so it’ll catch what’s out there. Crowds are often a thing here, so expect company. This is for intermediate surfers – the size is fine for that level.

From Tuesday afternoon through the rest of the week and into the second week, it’s mostly moderate or fresh breezes on-shore or cross-on, keeping the surface messy. Swells hang around 2ft to 3ft, but the period drops off after the 7th, with most days showing 12 to 16 seconds. The energy levels are moderate, hovering in the 200-500 range, but the wind just kills it. Thursday 16 July morning has a brief moment of near-glass with WSW 3 mph and a 3ft swell from the west, but the period is a short 8 seconds – that’s weak and won’t hold much power. Friday 17 July morning has a 1ft, 19-second groundswell from the SW, which is a really long period, but the size is tiny and the wind is cross-on. Not worth getting excited about.

The end of the outlook sees Saturday 18 July afternoon with a 2ft SW swell and a 12 mph SE cross-off wind. That cross-off wind means clean conditions (320 combined energy), but the swell is small and the period is 18 seconds – long period again, so better on this reef setup than a beach break, but it’s a tiny wave.

Honestly, the whole 16-day window is one long gap with no standout surf. There’s no big swell over 5ft, nothing for the experts, and nothing that’s going to get the heart pumping. For now, this stretch looks more interesting for a paddle on a SUP than a proper surf session.

Keep an eye on the Tuesday morning window on 7 July; it’s the only time that comes close to being worth a look.

Rusty.

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