Waves for the weekend – Some Surf, Some Wind, Some June Gloom

There will be surf this weekend…but it is going to have a number of issues with the winds and the tide that it is going to have to work through. That being said if you make good spot choices (and don’t try and surf during the high tide) you should be able to find a few playful waves in all of our regions.

In the water we are going to have a mix of holding SW swell (195-210), some new local windswell, and a steep NW swell (290+). Basically a smorgasbord of swell. None of it is particularly powerful or worth driving for but if you have a spot that can pick up one of more of those swells then you should be in OK shape.

On Saturday morning the average spots are going to see waist-chest high surf…with a couple of bigger ones at the best high tide spots in Orange County and San Diego. Winds will be light/variable for LA and Santa Barbara…while OC and SD see some S winds around 5-8 knots in the morning.

Winds will increase out of the WNW 10-20 knots by the afternoon…so it will end up being a race between the dropping tide and the increasing wind. If we can get a little pocket between the two that will probably be your best bet for surf…the SD/OC standouts will have a few shoulder high+ sets showing as the tide drops as well.

Sunday will be a bit cleaner…with lighter winds in the morning. The S swell will be a little smaller, the NW swell will be a bit bigger, and windswell will come up a couple of notches as well…but in general the sizes will be about the same.

The best surf on Sunday will probably be during the dawn patrol…the high tide is a little later in the day so we should have better shape early and the winds will be lighter in the AM as well. Personally I will probably try and roll out of bed around sun-up and give the local beach breaks a check before the tide gets too high.

When you pick your spots this weekend definitely plan around the tide and the winds…and realize that you may have to sacrifice size for shape in a lot of cases.