Big Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's break down the next couple of weeks at Big Rock.

Overall, it's a bit of a slow burn. There's a long stretch of so-so waves, with a few days that look totally flat. The water is sitting at 73°F right now, which is a crazy 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that's very unusual, feels like a warm bath.

The first real chance to get wet is on Monday morning, July 20th. We've got a 3ft SW swell with a 15-second period, which is a long-period groundswell. The wind is light offshore from the west at 6 mph, so the lineup will be clean. The combined swell energy is moderate at 546. It's not going to be big, but it's a start. The afternoon stays clean but the waves don't pick up.

Tuesday morning, July 21st offers a slightly better 4ft SW swell with the same long 16-second period. The wind is still light offshore from the west, giving us clean conditions. Combined energy is a bit stronger at 631. This is the best of the early part of the forecast, but it's still marginal.

From Tuesday afternoon through to the end of the first week, the wind stays mostly offshore or clean, but the swell hovers around 2ft to 5ft and the scores are poor. On Thursday, July 24th, we get a massive 24-second period swell, but it's only 2ft. That's a very long period, which means the energy (1055) is actually moderate to strong, but the wave height is tiny. That kind of period can be tricky at a reef break – it might just be a long, slow, straight wall.

The second week looks more promising in size but not in quality. On Friday, July 31st, the swell jumps to 5ft from the SSW, with a 15-second period. The wind is offshore from the west at 6 mph. Combined energy is strong at 1202. This is a standout for the whole period. Saturday, August 1st, is also solid with a 7ft SSW swell, but the period drops to 14 seconds and the wind is still offshore. At 7ft, this is getting into expert territory at Big Rock, especially with that long period making it powerful.

After that, the swell drops off quickly. By Sunday, August 2nd, the period is down to 11 seconds, and the wind starts to get cross-onshore. The last few days of the window, from August 3rd onwards, are a write-off with poor surf conditions and weak energy.

The real standout is Friday, July 31st. That 5ft SSW swell with a 15-second period and clean offshore wind from the west is the best combination of size, shape, and conditions we're going to see. The energy is strong (1202), and it's coming from the optimum direction for Big Rock. Just be prepared for a powerful lineup – it's a reef break, and it's a fair-consistent wave, so it should be working. Crowds are often there, so expect company.

The Saturday the 1st is also good, but it's bigger and a bit more unruly. For the rest of the run, it's a waiting game.

Rusty.

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