Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s take a look at the extended outlook for Big Ben. The first few days are a bit of a mixed bag, but the second weekend is shaping up to be something special.

For the first week, it’s a slow start. Wednesday the 29th shows a bit of energy with a combined swell energy of 351 and a clean 5ft SW swell that’s cross-offshore, but it’s inconsistent so don’t get your hopes too high. By Thursday, it drops right off to tiny 3ft and 2ft waves with energy levels falling to 89 and 70; just a bit of a waist-high dribble. Friday holds at knee-to-waist high, but the wind turns onshore in the afternoon, making it messy.

The weekend is where it gets interesting. Saturday the 1st of August is a write-off – tiny, onshore, and choppy. But then Sunday the 2nd sees a pulse of very long-period groundswell (14 seconds) arriving. The morning looks unreal with a glassy 4ft ESE swell and a combined energy of 729—that’s moderate energy, but the clean conditions make it a standout for the whole period. The afternoon bumps up to 5ft with a 15-second period. The swell direction is ESE, which is a touch off from the optimum SE direction, but with those long periods and glassy-to-light offshore wind, it’ll be super clean for Big Ben. The water temperature is 81°, which is about a degree warmer than usual for this time of year, so no need for a thick wetsuit.

Now, Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th see a massive jump in swell. We’re talking 8ft to 16ft of SE groundswell, with periods of 17-18 seconds. The combined energy rockets into the thousands (4732, 5585, 9754, 13832) – that’s strong to very strong wave energy. This is expert-only territory. The swell size is over 8ft, the period is very long, and it’s a beach/jetty setup, so those long-period waves will be hard to handle and might break too straight. The wind is either cross or cross-off, keeping it clean, but for most of us, it’s a watch-and-wonder day. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Wednesday the 5th is even bigger, hitting 20ft with a 17-second period and a combined energy of 20717. Still, the wind is cross-offshore in the morning, but by the afternoon, rain showers and a fresh 19 mph cross-shore wind will make it lumpy. Again, this is for the brave or the kite crew.

From Thursday the 6th through to Wednesday the 13th, the surf drops back down but stays messy. There are a few sessions with clean waves, like Sunday the 9th morning with a 6ft E swell at 14 seconds and a combined energy of 1710, but the wind is onshore, and the conditions are marginal. The best of this second week is probably Thursday the 13th morning: a solid 15ft SSE swell, a 12-second period, a combined energy of 10186, and cross-offshore winds cleaning it up. But again, 15ft is only for experts, and the wind is strong at 12 mph. It’s powerful but risky.

Overall, the standout window is Sunday the 2nd of August. It’s the only day where the size is manageable for a good range of surfers, the wind is perfect, and the swell has real energy. Get on it.

Rusty.

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