Surf Forecasts:
38 Line surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, E swell with 143 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with ENE 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period. 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 1.3m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (KST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 38 Line over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty here, and let me tell you about 38 Line for the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a real mixed bag, with a whole lot of waiting for the good stuff.
We’re staring down a pretty bleak start. The first week is mostly small, with waves hovering around the 2ft to 4ft mark, but the real killer is the wind. It’s coming from the north-east, which is cross-onshore or cross-off at best, and that’s just turning the ocean into a messy, choppy, poor-quality affair. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate, and with a short, weak period of just 6 to 7 seconds, there’s no punch or shape to speak of. Honestly, there’s barely a wave worth paddling out for from Tuesday the 1st right through to the end of that first week.
There is a tiny glimmer on Wednesday afternoon, the 2nd, when the wind goes glassy for a moment. It’s still just a 3ft wave, and the “surfable” comment is a stretch, but it’s the only time the conditions aren’t completely offensive. Then again on the morning of Tuesday the 8th, we see another glassy window with a 3ft east-northeast swell. These are the only real breathers in a long week of junk.
Now, things start to get interesting heading into the second week. Wednesday morning, the 9th, the swell jumps to 6ft from the northeast, with a combined energy of 340 (moderate), but the wind is still cross-onshore and messy, so it's not the one.
The standout moment, the one you’ve been waiting for, is the morning of Thursday the 10th of September. The swell is a solid 5ft from the east-northeast, with a period of 9 seconds, giving it a bit more power and shape with a combined energy of 370. But the best part? The wind is completely glassy – dead calm, 0 mph. That’s a bluebird morning with clean, peeling lines. The easterly direction is also a great match for the break’s optimum, which is exposed to the east. This is the absolute highlight of the whole outlook.
Don’t get too excited about the afternoon, though. The wind swings around to the north-east and turns onshore, wrecking it.
The following days from Friday the 11th to Monday the 14th see a building swell, with heights climbing from 4ft up to a massive 10ft. But the wind remains stubbornly cross-onshore or cross, and the energy is moderate to strong. The 10ft bump on Sunday morning the 13th is the biggest of the run, but the forecast says it’s too big for this break, and with a combined energy of 1070, it’s got some serious grunt. That’s a day for the experts only, if anyone even tries it.
After that, the swell stays big but the wind gets even worse, whipping up to a 19 mph fresh breeze on Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th, making it a total write-off.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a total dud. The only true standout, the one I’d be circling on the calendar, is the morning of Thursday the 10th. That glassy 5ft east-northeast swell is your best bet for a clean session. The rest of the second week has size but is blown out or too big. Keep your eyes on that Thursday morning.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Warm (max 24°C on Thu morning, min 21°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Fri morning, min 20°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
53 | 41 | 111 | 105 | 105 | 75 | 82 | 91 | 85 | 74 | 54 | 49 | 91 | 49 | 83 | 134 | 130 | 84 | 63 | 68 | 56 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 5:46PM0.25m | 5:36AM0.27m | 6:55PM0.22m | 6:10AM0.29m | 8:35PM0.21m | 6:53AM0.30m | 7:53AM0.30m | 9:12AM0.31m | 2:27AM0.23m | 10:36AM0.31m | 2:31AM0.24m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 11:31AM0.09m | 11:30PM0.13m | 12:29PM0.09m | 11:52PM0.16m | 1:40PM0.08m | 00:08AM0.19m | 3:06PM0.08m | 4:36PM0.07m | 5:51PM0.05m | 4:28AM0.23m | 6:52PM0.03m | ||||||||||
5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
— | 6:55 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | |
mm | 8 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | — | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | E 6 | NE 6 | ESE 5 | — | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 |
53 | 41 | 111 | 105 | 105 | 75 | 82 | — | 85 | 74 | — | 12 | 91 | 8 | — | 66 | 66 | 84 | 63 | 68 | 56 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | NE 7 | E 6 | — | SE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | — | — | — | NE 8 | — | NE 7 | NE 6 | SE 8 | — |
1 | 12 | 6 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | 79 | — | 57 | 40 | 2 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NE 7 | NNE 6 | — | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | NE 6 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | — | NNE 6 | NW 3 | — |
4 | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 91 | 36 | — | 54 | 49 | — | 49 | 83 | 134 | 130 | — | 26 | 3 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 671 | 73 | 0 | 569 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 569 | 668 | 668 | 668 | 649 | 668 | 668 | 0 | 668 | 649 | 0 | 649 | 848 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Korea | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Korea | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











