Surf Forecasts:
38 Line surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 6s period, SE swell with 8 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for 38 Line this week:
The most powerful waves expected at 38 Line in the next 16 days are 0.4m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (KST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 38 Line over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking at 38 Line.
Honestly, for the first stretch, it's pretty much a flat spell. We're looking at a long, dry gap here from the start of the forecast period right through until Friday the 28th. You'll see a few tiny ripples of swell in there, but with energy readings barely climbing into double digits and most of the time tagged as "poor surf conditions," there's nothing worth getting wet for. The water temp is sitting at about 77°, which is pretty much bang average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Now, the first real glimmer of hope shows up on Friday morning, the 28th of August. We finally get a pulse of swell – ESE at 4 ft, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 176, so there's actually some push in the water. The wind is a light cross-off from the NNW, which should keep the faces clean. It's a bit of a messy start to the wave, given the rest of the period has been flat, so it won't be perfect, but it's the best we've seen. This will likely be a bit junky with that shorter period, so don't expect perfection, but there will be waves to ride if you're keen.
After that little burst, it fades quickly. The rest of the run into early September is plagued by onshore winds, heavy rain, and tiny swell. The energy drops right back off, and honestly, the outlook for the second week is bleak. It's more of the same – small, weak, and sloppy. 38 Line is an exposed beach, so it needs a good swell window and clean wind to fire, and it's just not getting that. With the wind and chop coming up towards the end of the month, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
So, to call it: Friday the 28th morning is your one true standout. If you can get out there, you'll find some ordinary but rideable waves. The rest? Leave the board in the car.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Wed morning, min 23°C on Thu afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 6 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SSE 4 | NNW 3 | — | — | — | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | NE 10 | E 4 | E 4 | ESE 3 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | N 4 | N 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 8:43PM0.19m | 7:28AM0.27m | 8:17AM0.28m | 9:15AM0.28m | 10:25AM0.29m | 3:19AM0.23m | 3:14AM0.23m | 12:24PM0.31m | |||||||||||||
Low Tide | 2:22PM0.12m | 00:18AM0.18m | 3:45PM0.11m | 5:04PM0.11m | 6:08PM0.10m | 6:57PM0.08m | 5:32AM0.23m | 7:38PM0.07m | 6:31AM0.22m | 8:14PM0.06m | |||||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | |  |  | |  | | | | |
 | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — |
 | — | 7:14 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:10 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 30 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 32 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SSE 4 | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | E 4 | E 4 | NE 7 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | N 4 | N 4 |
| kJ | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 8 | NE 7 | — | N 6 | — | — | NW 5 | — | SE 4 | — |
| kJ | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 3 | — | W 3 | SE 4 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 634 | 707 | 668 | 668 | 707 | 569 | 668 | 707 | 668 | 582 | 707 | 582 | 582 | 712 | 569 | 569 | 707 | 569 | 569 | 569 | 569 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Korea | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Korea | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our 38 Line surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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