Surf Forecasts:
38 Line surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period, NNE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, SSE swell with 314 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with NNE 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s is also forecast. 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 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (KST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for 38 Line over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks start off pretty flat, but there’s some serious juice building for the end of the run. We’ve got a long gap of poor conditions before a couple of standout sessions that have me feeling stoked.
The action kicks off on Thursday the 13th of August with a bit of a pulse at 38 Line. It’s a tough one, though – a 6ft swell from the NNE, but it’s coming in at a short, weak 8 seconds, with a strong 31 mph cross-offshore wind from the NNW. The water’s sitting at 79°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. There’s moderate energy in the water (574), but the wind and short period make it a bit of a messy, marginal call.
Friday the 14th is a drop-off. The morning has a 4ft swell from the NE at a very short 7 seconds, and it’s barely surfable – definitely a day to sleep in. Everything from Friday afternoon all the way through to the morning of Monday the 17th is a dead zone. You’re looking at flat, tiny dribble with nothing worth paddling out for. That’s a solid three-day blank run.
Now, Monday the 17th of August is where it gets interesting. The morning brings a clean 6ft swell from the SSE at a moderate 7 seconds, with a light cross-off wind from the NNW. But the real highlight is the afternoon. Monday afternoon at 38 Line is glassy. The wind drops to nothing from the NNW, and we get a clean 6ft SSE swell at 8 seconds. The energy is solid (444) and the surface is mirror-like. This is a legit good session – clean waves, no bump. Not huge, but the quality will be there.
Then we hit another long gap. Tuesday the 18th through to Wednesday morning the 27th of August is a brutal stretch of tiny, blown-out, or flat conditions. There’s just nothing on offer for over a week.
Finally, the big finish. Thursday the 27th of August shows some promise with a 4ft NE swell at 6 seconds in the morning, and clean conditions under a light cross-off. But the real standout is Friday the 28th of August. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The morning session at 38 Line is firing – a 6ft groundswell from the ENE with a very long 9-second period. The energy is pumping (588). But the wind? Dead calm. Glassy as can be. This is very good surf for a spot like this, with solid, clean lines rolling in. It’s going to be the best of the entire forecast window. The afternoon picks up even more size to 7ft from the same direction, with a longer 10-second period (884 energy), but the wind swings onshore from the ESE, which will chop it up a bit. The morning is the call.
So to sum it up: the early good surf is Monday the 17th afternoon, but the absolute standout is Friday the 28th morning at 38 Line. Everything else in between is best spent tuning your boards.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Fri morning, min 23°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 22°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 6 | N 6 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | SE 5 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 4 | E 5 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
392 | 262 | 167 | 59 | 54 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 122 | 288 | 314 | 59 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:46AM0.23m | 3:35PM0.33m | 5:10AM0.24m | 4:24PM0.30m | 5:34AM0.24m | 5:14PM0.27m | 5:58AM0.25m | 6:07PM0.24m | 6:24AM0.26m | 7:10PM0.21m | 6:53AM0.27m | 8:43PM0.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:10PM0.01m | 9:28AM0.15m | 10:46PM0.03m | 10:19AM0.13m | 11:18PM0.06m | 11:12AM0.12m | 11:46PM0.09m | 12:08PM0.12m | 00:08AM0.13m | 1:10PM0.12m | 00:22AM0.16m | 2:22PM0.12m | 00:18AM0.18m | |||||||
— | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | |
7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:14 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
Feels °C | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 6 | N 6 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | — | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 4 | — |
84 | 262 | 167 | 59 | 54 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 2 | — | 145 | 130 | 59 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | — | — | — | — | E 6 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | E 5 |
98 | 112 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 6 | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | — | E 6 | SE 4 |
— | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | — | NW 4 | N 5 | N 5 | — | — | — | — | ESE 3 | SE 5 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | SE 5 | — | — | — |
392 | — | 10 | 36 | 27 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 122 | 288 | 314 | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 569 | 513 | 0 | 707 | 0 | 668 | 707 | 582 | 671 | 689 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 626 | 626 | 626 | 634 | 706 | 668 |
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.











