Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mates, Rusty here. Let’s break it down for Big Ben, where the surf is looking pretty quiet for the first week before a bit of a pulse in the second. Don’t expect much early on.

The first real chance to paddle out is on Wednesday morning, the 22nd of July. The swell is 3 ft from the east, with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is weak at 247. The wind is cross-offshore, which will keep the surface clean, but the waves will be small and weak. It’s a good size for beginners, and the beach/jetty setup makes it easy. Crowds are “sometimes,” so you might see a few others.

Thursday morning, the 23rd of July, is a highlight. The wind is glassy, and the swell is 3 ft from the east, period 10 seconds, with moderate energy at 173. It’s tiny, but the conditions are clean. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is code for small but rideable. For a beginner, this is a nice window.

The next standout is Saturday morning, the 25th of July. The swell drops to 1 ft, but the period jumps to a very long 16 seconds from the southeast. That’s a groundswell, and the energy is moderate at 207. The wind is glassy again. That long period will give better shape, but at a beach/jetty break, it might break a bit straight. Still, worth a look if you’re patient.

The best bet of the whole outlook is Thursday morning, the 30th of July. The swell is 4 ft from the southwest, period 12 seconds, and the energy is strong at 388. The wind is glassy. This is the biggest, cleanest, and most powerful option. The size is still fine for most surfers, and the long period means good shape. This is the one to mark on the calendar.

After that, there’s a gap of several days with messy onshore wind. The energy picks up on the 2nd of August (657), but it’s choppy and cross-onshore, so it’s a pass. The very end of the run, from the 3rd to the 5th of August, shows a solid 4-4 ft swell from the east with a 14-second period, and energy is strong (798 on the 3rd morning), but the wind is onshore the whole time. That’s a kite-surfing setup, not a paddle one.

So, overall: the best surf on offer is Thursday morning, the 30th of July at Big Ben. Clean, glassy, 4 ft southwest swell with 12-second period, 388 energy. It’s the standout. The second-best is Saturday morning, the 25th of July, for the glassy, long-period groundswell, even though it’s tiny. Near-term calls are reliable; long-range ones are promising but less certain.

Rusty.

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