Baldwin Beach Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a rough stretch. We’ve got a real slow start with nothing worth paddling out for. The first solid recommendation doesn’t pop up until the 15th of August, and even then, it’s marginal. The whole period is plagued by persistent cross-shore winds, mostly from the ENE, that are just chopping everything up. It’s a solid 8 or 9 days of flat or poor conditions before we see any real size.

The only spot in the picture is Baldwin Beach Park. It’s a reef and point setup, very consistent, and best with a NNE swell. The water’s sitting at 80°, with a tiny anomaly of 0.3°, so it’s right where you’d expect for this time of year.

The first real lump of energy shows up on the morning of Saturday the 15th. We’re looking at a 8ft swell from the ENE, with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 913 (moderate). The problem is that stiff cross-shore wind at 22 mph. It’s gonna be lumpy and messy. This swell builds through the afternoon to 8ft, and the energy jumps to 1149, but the wind is still a problem. Saturday afternoon and Sunday the 16th are the most promising of the whole run, but that’s not saying much. The size is there, but the quality isn’t. For a strong surfer, it might be worth a look, but the conditions are fighting it.

After that, the swell peaks on Monday the 17th with a 10ft swell from the ENE, and the energy is a hefty 1528 in the morning and 1719 in the afternoon. That’s a lot of water moving, but the wind shifts to a cross-onshore, making it choppy and tough. The period is 9 seconds, so it’s a windswell, not a clean groundswell. This is big, ugly, and really only for the experts. For most of us, it’s a pass.

The rest of the week into the 22nd drops off quickly, with weak swells and the same cross-shore wind pattern. We’re talking 2ft to 3ft swells with poor energy, nothing to get excited about.

So, the standout? If you’re desperate for a wave, the 15th and 16th of August are the days. The swell is the biggest and the energy is there, but you’ll be fighting the wind. It’s not a clean day, but it’s the best we’ve got. The rest of the window is a write-off. Don’t hold your breath.

- Rusty

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