Bethany Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at what’s on offer for the Bethany area over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty slow start, and there’s a long stretch of nothing special before we finally see a glimmer of hope.

The forecast opens up on Wednesday, July 22, with a 4ft SSE swell pushing in, but it’s coming with a 15 mph WSW cross-offshore wind that’s messing with the surface. The wave energy is weak, sitting at 151. It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary. The afternoon sees the wind drop to a slight 3 mph, but the swell drops to 3ft and the period is short at 8 seconds – not exactly going to get the heart pumping. Water temp is about average for this time of year.

From Thursday, July 23, right through to the end of July, the story is mostly small, weak swells (under 3ft) and onshore or cross-onshore winds. The wave energy is regularly in the two-digit range, meaning it’s weak. There’s a tiny window on Tuesday afternoon, July 28, when the wind goes glassy with a 3ft SSE swell, but it’s a short-period 6-second wave, so it’s not going to have much punch. Not worth paddling out for.

The end of July and the first few days of August are mostly a washout. The swell bumps up to 5ft on Friday, July 31, but it’s coming from the east with a short 6-second period and cross-onshore wind. The wave energy is moderate (166-213), but the conditions are poor. It’s a beach and jetty setup, so with that onshore wind, it’s looking more like a day for the kite surfers than paddle surfers.

Then we hit a gap of several days with no surf worth mentioning. The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, comes on Monday, August 3. The morning brings a 5ft SSE swell with an 8-second period, and the wind is a light SSE cross-offshore breeze. The wave energy is a solid 226, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the best on offer – clean, punchy, and a decent size for a fun session. The crowd might be a factor as it’s “sometimes” busy, but for this quality, it’s worth it.

Tuesday, August 4, is also a good call. The morning has a 5ft SSE swell with a 12 mph SSW offshore wind, making for clean, groomed waves. The energy is 250, and the conditions are expected to be good. The afternoon holds up with a 4ft SSE swell and the same offshore wind. These two days are the highlight of the whole 16-day window.

After that, the wind turns onshore again on Wednesday and Thursday, August 5-6, and the swell gets messy. The energy is still moderate (around 230-130), but the cross-onshore wind will chop it up.

So, to sum it up: the first week and a half is a long, slow grind. Hold out for Monday, August 3, and Tuesday, August 4. That’s your window. It’s a bit of a wait, but the forecast looks promising for those two days at Bethany.

Rusty.

Read more