Torrance Beach/Burn Out Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, ol’ Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at the charts for the next couple of weeks. Let’s get straight into it, because this forecast is a bit of a mixed bag.

We’ve got a window of very small, clean surf on the horizon, but for the most part, we’re looking at a lot of small, onshore-affected junk. The highlight is definitely the first morning on offer, with the rest of the two weeks being a real struggle to find a decent wave. There’s a gap of about two weeks after that first morning where the quality drops right off, so you’ll need to pick your moments.

The first event to get excited about is Wednesday, 29 July, on the morning. Torrance Beach/Burn Out is the spot to be. We’ve got a long-period groundswell rolling in from the SSW at 3 ft, with a period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and it’s packing a moderate 337 (combined energy of all swells directed here). The wind is a light S at 9 mph, coming cross-offshore, which will keep the surface clean. The water is a balmy 73°F, which is running much warmer than normal for this time of year – a full 7°F above average, so the wetsuit might feel a bit overkill. This is the best on offer, no question. Expect clean, lined-up sets. Crowds are often here, so it won’t be a secret.

Now, the rest of the run is a bit of a downer.

Wednesday afternoon (29 July) the wind swings to a light WSW cross-on, and the quality drops out. The swell bumps up slightly to 3 ft, but the poor conditions mean it’s not worth it.

Thursday, 30 July through the whole weekend, and into the following week, the surf is just small and ordinary. The swell hangs around 1 ft to 3 ft, mostly from the SSW or SW, with periods ranging from 13 to 15 seconds. The wind is either cross-on, onshore, or light cross-off, but the wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions” or “surfable but very ordinary.” The wave energy is typically weak to moderate (between 85 and 286).

Monday, 10 August on the morning shows a bit of a spark. We’ve got a 2 ft swell from the SSW at 14 seconds, with a light SSE cross-offshore wind at 6 mph. The combined energy is 218 (moderate), and the wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s small, but it will be clean. This is the only other standout in the second week, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

The rest of the second week, from 11 August onward, is back to small, messy, and onshore. The swell is a tiny 1 ft to 2 ft, mostly from the SW, with periods that vary from 16 to 20 seconds. The wind is almost always onshore or cross-on, and the wave energy is moderate but the quality is poor. The only decent morning is 13 August, with a light SSW wind at 3 mph and a 2 ft SSW swell (period 16s), but it’s still a marginal call.

So, bottom line: If you can get out Wednesday morning, 29 July, that’s your window. For the rest of the run, it’s a waiting game for forecasts to change. It’s not a classic stretch of surf, but it’s summer, and that’s how it goes sometimes.

Rusty.

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