South Del Mar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. Gotta level with you – the outlook for South Del Mar is a real bummer. We’ve got a full 16-day window, but don’t get your hopes up. The first chance at any waves isn’t until Friday afternoon, July 31st, and the whole forecast is marked as "poor surf conditions." Every single session. So there’s a gap right at the start, and then a long string of almost-good-enough that just isn’t.

Let’s break down Friday afternoon, July 31st. South Del Mar is a reef break that’s good for beginners. The water’s running at 76°F – that’s a whopping 8°F warmer than average for this time of year, which is a big deal. You’ll get small 3ft waves from the SSW, but with a short 14-second period. The combined wave energy is moderate at (431). The trouble is the wind: 6 mph from the W, which is onshore. Light, sure, but it’s onshore. For a beginner spot, the size is okay, but the quality isn’t there.

Moving into Saturday, August 1st, and Sunday, August 2nd, the swell drops smaller. Saturday morning has a 2ft SSW swell with a 13-second period and moderate energy (245). By Sunday morning, it’s a 2ft SW swell with a 14-second period and moderate energy (188). The wind is still light, but it’s cross-onshore from the SW at 9 mph, making for bumpy and choppy conditions.

From August 3rd all the way to August 7th, it’s the same story. Tiny waves, 1ft to 2ft, with periods from 13 to 19 seconds. The wind is always light to gentle, but it’s onshore or cross-onshore from the W, WSW, or SW.

If I have to pick one day that’s the least bad, it’s Friday morning, August 7th. The swell bumps to 2ft from the SSW, and the period jumps to a very long 19 seconds – that’s real groundswell energy. The combined energy is moderate to strong at (484). The wind is light from the WSW at 6 mph, but it’s still onshore. It’s the cleanest onshore we get. For a beginner, 2ft is fine. Later that afternoon, the wind picks up to 9 mph, so the morning is your only shot.

From August 8th through August 15th, the pattern doesn’t change. Small swell, 2ft to 3ft, with long periods (15-20 seconds), moderate to strong energy (349 to 496), and always a light to gentle onshore or cross-onshore breeze from W or WSW. The swell comes from the SSW or SW, which aligns well with the break’s optimum WSW direction.

Honestly, this setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. For a break that’s usually fairly consistent, this is a dry spell. It usually doesn’t stay this poor for long, and forecasts can shift. But for now, keep your board in the car.

Rusty.

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