Ann Street Peaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a pretty grim stretch ahead for the most part, so don’t get your hopes up too early. The only real spark of hope in this 16-day window is right at the very end, so we’ll have to be patient.

The first few days are a write-off. Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th are a complete mess – strong winds and lumpy, cross-onshore conditions making the surf poor. We’re looking at a decent 6 ft to 8 ft of swell from the SE, but with wind speeds hitting 19 to 22 mph and the combined energy climbing from 297 to a big 1221, it’s all just a chop-fest. Not worth paddling out for.

Sunday the 19th through Wednesday the 23rd is a long, bleak gap. The swell is still there, peaking at 10 ft on Sunday and Monday, with a massive 1502 to 1529 combined energy, but the wind is relentless from the SE and SSE. It’s just cross-onshore and choppy, with poor surf conditions. The period is around 9-10 seconds, so it’s not even a clean groundswell. This is a solid week of no recommendations, so don’t bother.

From Thursday the 24th through to Wednesday the 30th, it’s still quiet. The swell drops off to 4 ft and below, with combined energy well under 300. The wind does ease up a bit, but it’s still mostly cross-onshore or cross. You’ll see some ‘clean’ labels on Saturday the 26th morning and Monday the 27th morning, with a little south-southwest cross-offshore wind, but the waves are tiny – 3 ft and 2 ft respectively. Not enough to get excited about.

Now, the standout. It’s not a big one, but it’s the best we’ve got. On Saturday, the 1st of August, things finally line up. The morning brings a 4 ft swell from the SE, with a combined energy of 134, and a gentle cross-offshore wind from the NW. The waves are described as ‘surfable waves but very ordinary conditions’ – I know, not a glowing review, but it’s clean. The afternoon gets even better for Ann Street Peaks – a 4 ft swell from the SE, only 94 combined energy, but the wind swings to a gentle offshore from the WNW. That’s the wind you want. The break is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the swell, and the optimum swell direction is ESE, which is close enough to the SE we’re getting. It’s fairly consistent, and while crowds are sometimes an issue, on a day like this with the conditions we’ve had, it might be a little quieter. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year – so a bit chilly but not crazy.

That Saturday is your window. The waves aren’t huge, but they’ll be clean with that offshore wind. Anything over 8 ft here would be for experts only, but at 4 ft, it’s solid for intermediates. Don’t expect a world-class session, but it’s the only real chance in the whole run.

Rusty.

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