Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it for Big Ben.

Right now, the water is sitting at a warm 81°, which is pretty much spot-on for this time of year. The outlook starts off pretty sleepy, but things pick up.

We kick off Saturday afternoon, August 1st, with a tiny 2 ft SE swell. The energy is weak (201), and with a cross-shore wind, it’s a bit of a washout. Not worth paddling out for.

Sunday the 2nd sees a bit more life. The morning brings a 5 ft ESE swell with a long 16-second period, and the energy jumps to a moderate 1050. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s not terrible, but it’s still a bit lumpy. The afternoon bumps up to 5 ft, but the wind picks up and creates a cross-chop.

Monday the 3rd has the swell building, but the wind is a cross-shore moderate breeze. The morning is 7 ft from the SE with a 16-second period and strong energy (2693), but it’s bumpy. The afternoon gets bigger at 8 ft with a 17-second period, energy is very strong (3654), but again, cross-shore chop.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting, but only for the brave. From Tuesday the 4th through Thursday the 6th, we get a proper pulse of big swell. However, this is a beach and jetty setup, and the swell is pumping too hard. Tuesday morning sees 12 ft SE swell with a 16-second period and massive energy (6372). The wind is a fresh cross-shore, creating lumpy conditions. This is strictly for experienced surfers only, and honestly, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at this size. The same goes for Wednesday and Thursday, with the swell peaking at 15 ft on Wednesday afternoon and energy hitting 9344. It’s simply too big and messy for this break.

From Friday the 7th until Sunday the 16th, the surf drops back but never really cleans up. The swell stays between 5 ft and 8 ft, but the wind is consistently cross-shore or cross-onshore, keeping the surface choppy and lumpy. There are a few moments, like Monday morning the 10th with a 8 ft E swell and clean cross-offshore wind, but the energy is still strong and the period is a bit short at 13 seconds. The overall takeaway is that the surf is marginal for the vast majority of the forecast.

The standout moment, if you can call it that, is probably Sunday morning, August 2nd, with a 5 ft ESE swell, a long 16-second period, and light cross-shore winds. It’s not perfect, but it’s the closest to clean the whole window gets, and the energy is moderate. It’s a beginner-friendly size, but the inconsistent nature of the break means you might have to wait for a set. For a more experienced surfer, Monday morning, August 10th offers a clean 8 ft E swell with cross-offshore winds, but the 13-second period makes it a bit less powerful than it looks.

So, we’ve got a big swell window early on that’s too big, followed by a long stretch of so-so conditions. Not the best 16 days, but the chance of a clean 8 ft E swell on the 10th is worth keeping an eye on.

Rusty.

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