Ventura Overhead Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for Ventura Overhead. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak surf with a persistent westerly wind that’s going to keep things messy. It’s not a total shutdown, but you’re gonna have to be patient and pick your moments.

The first few days, from Thursday the 20th through the weekend, are going to be a bust. Wave heights are barely reaching 2ft, with the swell energy sitting down in the weak range, like between 27 and 92. It’s a lot of whitewater and closeouts, not much to get excited about. Winds are light, but mostly cross-onshore, so it’ll be lumpy and uninviting. This is a real “check the cams and roll over” kind of stretch. There’s nothing on offer that’s worth paddling out for.

As we roll into the start of next week, the 24th, there’s a slight bump in the water. The swell pushes up to 3ft, and the energy starts to climb into that moderate range, around 125. But it’s still coming in with a short, weak 5-second period, so it’s not going to have any push. The wind is still on it, making for that choppy, cross-onshore mess. It's still poor surf conditions, and I’d give it a miss.

The rest of that week and into the following weekend stays flat and unproductive. We’re talking knee to waist-high dribble, the kind of surf that’s only good for a paddle if you’re desperate. The swell energy is weak, and the wind, while light, is often onshore. There's no real standout, no clean day where it all comes together. By the 30th and 31st, the period stretches out to 9-10 seconds, which is a bit better, but with the waves only at 2ft, it’s still not going to break with any real shape. It’s just a lot of lines rolling through with nothing to show for it.

There is a tiny flicker of hope around the 2nd and 3rd of September. The swell energy jumps back into that moderate bracket, hitting around 108, and the west-northwest swell bumps up to 3ft. The period is still short at 9 seconds, but the wind is finally forecast to go light and offshore in the morning. That could make Ventura Overhead, a fickle reef that’s inconsistent at the best of times, look slightly more inviting. But don’t get your hopes up—it’s still a far cry from good. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so you won't need the thickest suit, but you might want the booties for the reef.

Honestly, this is a bleak outlook. There’s not a single day where I’d say “drop everything and go.” It’s a waiting game. Sometimes it stays this poor for a stretch, but the long-range forecast has enough of a pulse to suggest it won't stay this way forever. Keep the board waxed and the wetsuit handy, but you might find better ways to spend your time for the next week or so.

Rusty.

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