Trestles (Uppers) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Trestles (Uppers) for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, there’s a real rough patch ahead. No sugarcoating it, the first few days are flat out poor. We’re talking Thursday the 3rd to Saturday the 5th with tiny, weak swell, cross-onshore breezes, and the water is a whopping 9°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a seriously warm anomaly for September, you’ll feel it. The combined energy is low (374), and the wave comment says it all: poor surf. You’re looking at a 2ft to 4ft southerly swell, but it’s messy and chopped up. Not worth paddling out unless you’re desperate.

Now, Sunday the 6th morning is where things start to flicker. The swell bumps up to 6ft, coming from the south with a period of 14 seconds, and the wind goes light and cross-shore from the northwest. That’s a rare moment of calm. The combined energy jumps to 1445 – moderate wave energy, but the report still says “marginal,” so keep your expectations in check. The afternoon gets a bit more size, 7ft, but the wind swings west and goes cross-onshore again, so it’ll get lumpy.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are frustrating. We’ve got a solid 6ft to 7ft south-southwest swell hanging around, decent period at 14 seconds, but the wind is relentless from the west and west-northwest, blowing cross-onshore at 9 to 12 mph. It’s going to be choppy, and the energy is strong (over 1400), but the quality is just not there. The wave comment says “poor” or “marginal” for most of it. The best of a bad bunch is the early morning Monday, maybe, if you can handle the wind.

Wednesday the 9th the swell drops fast, back to 4ft, and the wind picks up again. The rest of the week from the 10th to the 13th is a slow fade: tiny 2ft to 3ft swell, light but mostly cross-onshore winds, and the combined energy struggles to even hit 600. It’s pretty lifeless out there.

Here’s the interesting bit: the 14th and 15th of September. The swell is tiny, 1ft, but the period jumps to 18–21 seconds, and the wind is light and onshore from the southwest. That’s a very long period groundswell, but it’s so small it’s barely surfable. The combined energy is low (214–364), so it’s mostly a tease.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Sunday the 6th. That’s your best shot. The 6ft south swell, light cross-shore wind, and the longest period of the run (14 seconds) gives you the best chance of a clean wave. But honestly, it’s still a marginal day. The rest of the 16 days is a struggle. The crowd profile at Trestles is “always” busy, so even when it’s poor, expect a crowd. The optimum swell direction is west, and we’re getting mostly south-southwest, so the waves won’t be perfect.

Bottom line: we’ve got a long, slow run of poor-to-marginal surf. The first few days are a write-off, and the middle of the second week sees a little pulse of very long period but tiny swell. If you’re itching, the 6th morning is your only real chance. Otherwise, sit this one out.

Rusty.

Read more