Smaller But Fun Surf This Week | Socal Weekly Forecast

Overview 

5/13/22 – 5/19/22: Although nothing too sizable on the way this week, another relatively fun week of surf is in store for Southern California. The first few days through the weekend will be on the smaller side as just a small mix of south swell and NW windswell mix in, but as we head into the workweek size is expected to gradually pick up due to a new round of Southern Hemi on the way. Size will show best from Monday the 16th to Thursday the 19th, as a few pulses of this run overlap. There is expected to be some NW windswell mixing in for most of the week, so there should also be a few corners to work with at some of the beach breaks. 

After a chilly and breezy week, temperatures are expected to warm up and conditions are expected to improve. The warmest days of the week will be the first two days of the forecast, Friday the 13th, and Saturday the 14th. Temperatures will get into the 70s for most of the coastal region over the weekend, and should cool down a bit into the workweek as more of a marine influence comes back onto land. It’s May, so most mornings during the workweek look to start out cloudy with a touch of south wind on it. Luckily it is looking much lighter than last week, so conditions will be manageable most mornings. 

 

Best Bets 

  • Clean and warm, but only a small mix of swells over the weekend. 
  • Bigger surf over the workweek as south swell fills in along with some smaller NW windswell.
  • Target the summer/south facing breaks for the most size.

Day to Day Breakdown 

Friday the 13th: 1-3 feet 

One of the smallest days of the week. The swells in the water will be a small mix of south swell and NW windswell. The morning will be nice and calm with light winds. A good day to bring out the longboard. Only a light west wind is expected to pick up over the afternoon. 

Saturday the 14th: 1-3 feet 

Another small day to start out the weekend. Pretty similar to Friday with just minor south swell and NW windswell. It’s going to be a nice day, so it could still be worth taking out a bigger board. Calm conditions with light wind expected for the morning, followed by just a minor seabreeze in the afternoon. 

Sunday the 15th: 2-3+ feet 

Pretty small out there again, but watch for size to gradually pick up through the day as a fresh pulse of Southern Hemisphere swell builds in. There should still be some minor NW windswell lingering too. Conditions look slightly more textured in the morning compared to the last few days but not bad. Keep an eye on the evening as more south swell shows. 

Monday the 16th: 3-4+ feet 

The first south swell of the workweek builds to a peak. Summer spots that receive the southerly angle will show the best size, and will be the best place to target. Stronger NW winds look to pick up over the outer waters of SoCal, which will result in some fresh NW windswell mixing in. A few corners look likely for the beach breaks. The wind is looking a bit stronger than the weekend, with some south wind for the morning. 

Tuesday the 17th: 3-4+ feet 

The dominant south swell continues, as more NW windswell shows. Another fun day is looking likely for the summer spots and beach breaks that get the combo of swells. Just keep an eye on the morning conditions as more south wind is expected. Winds may lighten up over the afternoon, so don’t rule out an evening session.

Wednesday the 18th: 3-4+ feet 

Fun mix of south swell and NW windswell is expected to continue. Target the same spots as the last few days, south facing points and beach breaks. It’s looking like another morning of possible textured conditions. More south wind is possible then, with the afternoon possibly seeing less wind. 

Thursday the 19th: 3-4+ feet 

Another day with similar sized surf. South swell looks to continue, and NW windswell should ease slightly. This could be another fun day, but local winds again look slightly unfavorable. Things are far out so this can change. 

 

Long Range Forecast 

Nothing major on the horizon at the moment in terms of swell for SoCal. The main story continues to be the activity in the South Pacific. Although nothing solid on the way, more similar sized pulses look to continue through most of the month of May. Pretty typical outlook for this time of year. 

One other longer range thing to note is the persistent La Nina conditions in the equatorial pacific. This summer favors continued La Nina conditions, which unfortunately isn’t great news for tropical swells in SoCal. This doesn’t mean we won’t see a few tropical swells during summer, but it would decrease the chances of us seeing something solid if this outlook continues.

 

-Jax Richards

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