Laguna Beach - South Crescent Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be real – this outlook for South-Crescent Bay is a pretty flat stretch for the most part. We’ve got a long, drawn-out run of small, messy waves with only a couple of faint glimmers in the distance. Don’t get your hopes up too high, but let’s walk through it.

The first week is a write-off. From Friday, the 10th of July, right through to the end of the following week, it’s just a series of small, weak swells – mostly around 1 ft to 3 ft – with a persistent cross-onshore or onshore wind. The energy is weak, with combined swell energy values sitting in the low hundreds (like 187 to 323), and the wind is never truly clean. You’ll be looking at light cross-onshore bumps or gentle chop, and the wave comment is either “poor” or “marginal.” It’s the kind of week where you’d be better off doing something else. The water temp is a mild 66°, which is about normal for this time of year – nothing to write home about.

Now, if you’re patient, there’s a tiny pulse worth watching. On Sunday, the 19th of July, we get a lift. The swell jumps to 4 ft from the SSE, with a period of 15 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, and at a beach-and-reef setup like South-Crescent Bay, that long period can mean longer gaps between sets but better-shaped waves if it lines up. The combined energy hits 802 (moderate), which is the strongest we’ll see in the whole 16-day window. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the SW at 3 mph, which is glassy enough to keep things reasonably clean, but it’s still a cross-on. The crowd factor is “often” here, so you won’t be alone. This is the standout, but it’s only a 2/10 opportunity – marginal, with tide questions. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best on offer.

After that, it drops back to small, weak, and choppy again through to the 25th of July, with similar setups and no real improvement. The 25th of July morning shows a 3 ft S swell with 12-second period and light wind, but the energy is back down to 565 and the comment is still “marginal.” By the afternoon, it’s poor again.

So, bottom line: this is a lean period. The only moment that might get your heart rate up is Sunday the 19th of July, with a long-period groundswell that could offer a few fun ones if the tide works out. Otherwise, it’s a blank run. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d say keep the board in the car and the expectations low.

Rusty.

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