Trestles (Lowers) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

Honestly, looking at the next couple of weeks, we’ve got a bit of a slow grind ahead before things finally wake up. The surf is going to be small and a little bit on the messy side for the first stretch. We’re talking about a long gap with no real quality on the cards. It’s going to be a week and a half of marginal, waist-to-shoulder high slop at best, with a lot of days where you’ll be fighting a cross-onshore breeze and just not finding much push. The energy in the water is weak, with values mostly hanging around the 300 to 700 range, which tells you it’s not doing much.

The winds are mostly light, but they’re coming from the west and southwest, which puts a cross-on angle on Trestles. It’s not howling, but it’s enough to keep the surface a bit bumpy and rippled. The swell direction is all over the place, from SSW to SW, and the periods are in that mid-range, 13 to 18 seconds. It feels like there’s plenty of west in it, but not enough south to really light up the point.

Let’s break it down day by day. From Friday the 14th through to about the 25th, it’s just a waiting game. The swell height stays mostly under 3 feet, peaking at 4 feet on Saturday the 15th afternoon, but the quality is just not there. It’s a beach and reef set-up, and it’s got the exposure, but the winds are just enough to keep it from getting clean. I see some days with the wind switching to a more onshore direction, which is chop city. The scores are low, the comments say it’s marginal or poor, and I’m not going to lie to you, it’s just not worth paddling out for. You’d be scratching around for dribblers with a sideshore bump.

There is a slight improvement around the 18th and 19th when the wind goes more straight onshore and it’s light, but the swell is still tiny, 2 to 3 feet, and the period drops off a bit. It might be clean, but there’s just not enough push. It’s a real glassy, knee-to-waist high day at best. You’d be out there for the peace, not the waves.

The real shift happens starting the morning of Thursday the 27th of August. That’s when the ocean finally remembers how to flex. We see a jump in the forecast swell to 5.5 feet with a 14-second period, and the energy numbers climb into the four-digit range. It’s still not perfect, but this is where it starts to get interesting. The wind is light and straight on from the southwest, which is good for this break.

Then, Friday the 28th of August is the standout. The afternoon is the pick of the whole period. The swell is pushing 7 feet, coming from the SSW, and the period is a solid 13 seconds. But the best part? The wind just completely dies. We’re talking glassy conditions, zero wind. The energy reading jumps up to 1752, which is strong. This is the kind of day that gets the heart pumping. This will be the real deal, with some proper lines wrapping through the point. This is for experienced surfers, though, as 7 feet is well into that territory where it’s powerful and not for the faint of heart. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no major surprises there.

Let’s talk about Saturday the 29th. The swell is still solid at 5.5 feet, but the wind swings back to the west and becomes cross-on, so it won’t be as perfect as Friday. The energy drops back to the 875 range, and the period shortens to 11 seconds. It will still be a fun, punchy day, but Friday afternoon is the one you want to circle. Don't be fooled by the early morning on Friday the 28th either, it’s bigger (8 feet) but rougher. The afternoon is where it’s at.

So, if you’re keen, don’t waste your energy on the first week and a half. Save yourself for that window on the 28th. That’s the one with the real spark.

Alright, I’m out. Catch you in the water.

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