Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's break down the outlook for Big Ben.

The water temp is 78°, which is pretty average for the time of year. Nothing unusual.

The forecast starts off slow and messy. Monday and Tuesday are a waste with poor conditions and cross-shore winds messing up the weak, short-period swell. The combined energy is low, around 148 to 373, so not worth the effort.

Wednesday morning, July 22nd, is the first sign of life. We've got a clean 3ft swell from the east with a 10-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore. The energy is moderate at 242, and the report says to expect good surf. It's a small window, as the afternoon turns ugly again.

Thursday morning, the 23rd, is a bit of a letdown. The swell drops to 3ft from the ENE, but the wind goes glassy. It's clean as a mirror, but the waves are just ordinary. The energy is down to 162, so it's a longboard or foamie session.

Then we hit a long dry patch. From Friday the 24th all the way through to Monday the 27th of July, it's a mix of poor or marginal conditions. A few longer-period swells roll in, like a 16-second pulse on the 25th, but the wind is always onshore or cross-shore, and the wave heights are tiny. It's a real grind.

Now, here's the one to circle. Tuesday the 28th of July. This is the day. Big Ben is the spot. The swell jumps to 5-6ft from the SSW, with a very long period of 14 to 15 seconds. That's proper groundswell. The combined energy is a strong 1275. The wind is offshore in the morning, then goes glassy in the afternoon. The report says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is a powerful, big swell, so it's for the experts only. The long period will give it shape and power, but it might be a bit straight at a beach break. This is the best on offer, hands down.

The rest of the week after that fades. Wednesday the 29th is still okay with a 4-5ft SSW swell, but the wind turns cross or onshore, making it a bit messy. By Thursday the 30th and into August, it's back to small, poor, and choppy. There's a brief pop on Sunday, August 2nd, with a 2ft, 15-second swell from the east and a clean cross-offshore wind, but it's tiny and the energy is moderate at 396. It's a longboard wave at best.

The very end of the run, August 4th, sees another big pulse of energy from the SSE at 5-6ft with a 15-second period, but the onshore wind is howling at 15-16 mph, making it a total mess. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, bottom line: the first week is mostly a dud. The absolute standout is Tuesday, July 28th. Get on it.

Rusty.

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