Sunset Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Grab your board, let's get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next sixteen days for Sunset Beach (North OC).

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you—this stretch is a desert. We’ve got almost nothing worth paddling out for. The whole first week is a write-off. Thursday the 10th through to Wednesday the 16th? All “poor surf conditions.” The swell is tiny, mostly around 1ft to 3ft, and the wind is all over the place—cross, cross-on, sometimes onshore. It’s choppy, messy, and frankly, a waste of a wax job. The combined swell energy (426) on Thursday afternoon sounds like it has some kick, but that’s from a long-period SW groundswell (16 seconds) that’s just not cooperating.

The water is running at 71°, which is 4° warmer than normal—so it’s much warmer than usual for this time of year, which is a weird bonus but doesn’t help the waves.

Now, we finally see a little flicker of hope starting Thursday the 17th, but even then it’s only “marginal.” Thursday morning the 17th, we get a score of 1 out of 10—still basically a no-go. The swell is weak at 2ft from the SSW, and the wind is light onshore. You’d be fighting the chop.

Friday the 18th morning is a similar story: 2ft from the SW, light onshore wind, and a 19-second period. That long period (over 15 seconds) could mean a bit of juice, but for a beach break like Sunset, that kind of long-period groundswell can break too straight and be a pain. The combined swell energy is moderate (369), but the quality just isn’t there with the cross-onshore winds later.

Honestly, the only window that even gets a slight nod is Saturday the 19th morning and Monday the 21st morning—still only scoring a 1. On Saturday, it’s 2ft from the SW, period 18 seconds, with light onshore wind. Monday it’s 3ft from the SW, period 17 seconds, again light cross-onshore. The combined energy on Monday morning is strong (501), which might get your heart pumping, but in reality, the conditions are still “marginal” at best. You’ll be scratching for a ride.

There are no true standouts here. No clean, glassy windows. No proper swell with good wind. This is just a tough stretch for Sunset Beach. If you’re a kite surfer, maybe the consistent cross-onshore wind and moderate swell makes it look more interesting, but for paddle surfing? Leave the board in the car.

The second week doesn’t get any better. We’re seeing the same story: small swell (2ft to 3ft), onshore or cross-onshore winds, and “poor surf conditions” all the way through the 25th. The combined energy drops into the 300s later, so not even the energy is there.

Bottom line: This is a long, flat, choppy outlook. There are zero days I’d circle on the calendar. The area is known for this kind of blank run sometimes, so don’t sweat it—forecasts can change, but for now, it’s a hard pass.

Stay patient,

Rusty

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