Alnes Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch for Alnes Lighthouse. The pattern is pretty grim, with a whole lot of wind-ruined surf and very little to get excited about.

We’re kicking off on Friday the 17th, and it’s a rough start. The wind is howling out of the NE at 19 mph, and it’s putting a nasty cross-chop on the 3ft swell. The combined energy is weak (196), and the water temp is about average for the time of year, but you won't care about that when you’re fighting that wind. This messy, lumpy crap is going to last for days. Seriously, from Friday all the way through Saturday the 19th, it’s the same story: strong cross-shore winds, choppy, grovelly waves. Don’t even bother.

There’s a little break in the wind on Monday the 20th, with a light breeze, but the swell is tiny, around 2ft, and the energy is almost nothing (82). It’s just not worth paddling out for. Tuesday the 21st sees a bit more size, but the wind picks up again, making it choppy and messy. The energy jumps to 212, but it’s still a poor, wind-affected mess.

Wednesday the 22nd is the first day we get a whiff of something, but it’s still not good. The wind is light and cross-shore, with a 4ft WNW swell and a period of 9 seconds, giving a moderate energy of 295. The forecast calls it “marginal,” and I’d agree. It’s the best of a bad bunch so far, but with the wind still on it, it’s not going to be clean.

Then the wind really turns on us. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th see a big swell pulse, with Friday morning hitting 7ft and a massive energy of 723. But the wind is pumping out of the SW at 25 mph, creating a complete mess. That’s expert-only territory for size, and with that wind, it’s just a washing machine. Honestly, for a beach-and-reef setup like this, that’s looking more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle-surfing day.

We get a bit of a reprieve on Sunday the 26th. The morning shows a light cross-offshore wind and a clean 3ft swell. The energy is low (154), but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen. It’s a small, fun wave, but not a standout.

The big news is on Wednesday the 29th. The afternoon session shows a clean, fun-looking 6ft swell from the NNE, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the ENE. The energy is solid at 291, and conditions are finally clean. This is the best window on offer, but it’s still a bit of a gamble being so far out.

After that, the window closes again. Thursday the 30th has a bit of surf, but it gets messy. And the very last day, Saturday the 1st of August, shows a big 8ft swell from the north with a huge energy of 744, but the wind is light and onshore, making it questionable. Because it’s so far out and the wind is tricky, I’d keep an eye on it, but for now, that Wednesday afternoon is your best bet.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on the forecasts.

Rusty.

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