38 Line Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.00° N 128.73° E

38 Line Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 8 am 30 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's 38 Line sea temperature is
26.5°C
2.9° 

38 Line surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


38 Line surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, ENE swell with onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, ENE swell with 1,249 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period with NE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for 38 Line this week:

The surf forecast for 38 Line over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at 38 Line in the next 16 days are 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 9AM.

Wave TypeTime (KST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Sun 30th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 7s
Best Surf 9AM (Sat 5th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 8s
Most Powerful 9AM (Sat 5th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for 38 Line over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty comin’ at you. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for 38 Line.

Right off the bat, I gotta tell ya, the next few days are a real struggle. We’ve got a run of tiny, weak, and messy surf that’s just not worth paddling out for. The water’s sitting at a very warm 80°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that ain’t gonna help the waves. From Sunday the 30th right through to Thursday the 3rd of September, it’s all small, onshore junk. A couple of mornings on Tuesday the 1st and Thursday the 3rd might look clean in the text, but the swell is just too anemic – 2ft to 2ft of weak, short-period junk. The wave energy is pitiful, barely hitting 35 to 46 (combined swell energy) on those cleaner mornings. It’s a classic case of lookin’ good but goin’ nowhere.

Then Friday the 4th rolls in with a bit more size, but it’s a total write-off. We get a jump to 7ft to 8ft of swell out of the NE, but the wind is howling at 22 to 28 mph from the same direction, cross-onshore, turning it into a messy, lumpy nightmare. The wave energy climbs to 403 and 569, but it’s all for nothing with that wind.

Now, here’s where things get interesting, and I mean *really* interesting. Saturday the 5th of September, the models are throwing up a monster. 10ft of NE swell with a slightly longer period of 8 seconds. The energy reading is a massive 1720 (strong to very strong). But – and this is a big but – the forecast is sayin’ this is too big for 38 Line. It’s an exposed beach break, and when you get that much ENE swell with an onshore breeze, it’s gonna be a washing machine. It’s actually flagged as being more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle guys. So we skip it.

The Standout – Mark Your Calendars.

If you’re chasing the best of the window, you wait for Sunday the 6th of September. That’s the one. The swell drops back to a powerful 7ft out of the ENE, still with a solid 8-second period. The wave energy is still a hefty 650. But the magic is in the wind. It’s set to go offshore from the WNW in the morning, turning glassy in the afternoon with a light SW breeze. That’s the recipe for 38 Line to actually hold its shape. This is the pick of the bunch – expect very good conditions and some real clean, punchy walls. It’s going to be solid, so this is for the experienced crew; it'll be a bit heavy for beginners.

After that, the following week gets a bit mixed. Monday the 7th sees a drop in size and messy cross-shore winds, then a small bump on Wednesday the 9th of September with 7ft (NNE) and clean offshore winds. Thursday the 10th also has some decent size (6ft, NE) and clean morning conditions, but the energy is winding down. The second week is a real mixed bag of clean spells and onshore slop, with a couple of heavy rain days turning things ugly. The long-range promise on the 13th and 14th is all blown out with brutal cross-onshore winds, so don’t get your hopes up for that.

So here’s the takeaway: suffer through the flat start, maybe watch the kooks on Saturday the 5th, and be on the water for Sunday the 6th of September. That’s your day.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 24°C on Sun morning, min 21°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 254mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, strong winds from the NE by Fri morning).

Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
!
0
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
NE
6
0.7
NE
7
0.5
E
6
0.6
ENE
6
0.5
ENE
6
0.5
ENE
6
0.7
E
6
0.9
ENE
6
0.7
NE
6
0.6
NE
6
0.6
NE
6
0.6
NE
6
0.5
NE
6
0.5
NE
6
1.1
NE
6
2.1
NE
7
2.3
NE
7
2.5
ENE
8
3
ENE
8
3
ENE
8
2.5
ENE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
66
54
17
32
19
18
35
52
39
30
26
25
19
19
95
403
569
854
1249
1147
891
Wind (km/h)
5
NE
5
ESE
10
SSW
10
SSE
10
SE
10
W
10
NNW
15
N
0
E
5
SSW
10
SE
5
SSW
5
N
15
NE
35
NE
45
NE
35
NE
25
NE
15
ENE
25
ENE
10
W
Wind State
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
off
High Tide
4:02PM0.29m
4:46AM0.25m
4:50PM0.27m
5:09AM0.26m
5:46PM0.25m
5:36AM0.27m
6:55PM0.22m
6:10AM0.29m
8:35PM0.21m
6:53AM0.30m
7:53AM0.30m
Low Tide
9:54AM0.12m
10:40PM0.08m
10:40AM0.11m
11:05PM0.11m
11:31AM0.09m
11:30PM0.13m
12:29PM0.09m
11:52PM0.16m
1:40PM0.08m
00:08AM0.19m
3:06PM0.08m
4:36PM0.07m
cloud
thunderstorm
light rain
mod rain
light rain
heavy rain
light rain
cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
light rain
mod rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:52
5:52
5:54
5:54
5:54
5:56
5:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:59
6:57
6:55
6:53
6:52
6:51
6:50
 mm
2
3
6
4
17
2
3
2
1
2
7
14
116
56
36
20
12
14
5
Temp °C
24
24
24
22
22
22
22
22
22
23
24
22
22
21
21
21
21
21
21
21
22
Feels °C
28
28
26
24
24
24
24
23
26
24
26
23
24
22
19
18
18
19
23
20
24
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the 38 Line Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for 38 Line provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at 38 Line can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our 38 Line surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (38 Line) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for 38 Line may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

38 Line is 18 km (11 miles) from the city of Sokcho. If you plan a holiday in South Korea, look for hotels and other accommodation in Sokcho. Sokcho has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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