Bird Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about what’s out there. The real standout is Saturday morning, August 15th, at Bird Rock. This is a reef break, so it knows how to handle that long-period SW groundswell. We’re looking at a solid 6ft of swell from the southwest, with a very long 15-second period. The combined swell energy is pumping at 1512, which is strong. The wind is dead calm, glassy as glass – that’s about as clean as it gets. The water temperature is 56°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. This is a top-tier session for advanced surfers.

Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th drop off a fair bit. The swell backs down to around 3 to 4ft, and the wind goes cross-onshore, messing up the surface. It’s not a total write-off, but it’s not the focus.

Tuesday and Wednesday, the 18th and 19th, are a write-off. Swell drops to 2ft or less, and while the wind is cross-offshore on Wednesday, there’s just no energy (combined energy of 106). Not worth a paddle.

Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st show life returning. Friday morning looks the better of the two: 3ft swell from the SW, 16-second period, and a gentle offshore wind from the NW. The combined energy climbs to 317, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s clean and fun, but still on the smaller side.

Now, the real highlight of the whole forecast lands on Sunday, August 23rd. Saturday the 22nd is a bit of a mess – 6ft swell but with a moderate cross-shore wind, making it choppy and marginal. But Sunday morning and afternoon are electric. The swell is 7ft to 8ft, solid SW groundswell, period 15 to 17 seconds, and the wind swings offshore from the WNW. The combined energy hits 4617 on the afternoon – that’s very strong. This is big, powerful, and clean. It’s for expert surfers only; the size and the reef setup mean it’s not for the faint-hearted. This is the best on offer in the whole 16-day window.

Monday the 24th is still good, with a 7ft SW swell and offshore winds, but the energy is a bit lower (2473) and the wind shifts cross-offshore. Still a solid session for those who can handle it.

After that, the second week tails off. Tuesday the 25th has some clean waves in the 3ft to 4ft range with offshore winds, but it’s not a standout. Wednesday and Thursday see a lot of cross-onshore wind and chop, with the swell bumping up to 10ft to 15ft on the 27th, but the wind is coming strongly onshore, making it a messy, blown-out mess. That size is only for experts, but the conditions won’t be good.

Friday the 28th has big swell – 10ft to 13ft – but the wind is directly onshore, so it’s going to be a washing machine. Saturday the 29th morning brings a clean-up: 6ft SSW swell with a very long 19-second period, light offshore wind, and the combined energy at 2100. That’s a promising session for experienced surfers, but by then we’re 14 days out, so take that with a grain of salt.

Sunday the 30th rounds it out with a clean 5ft swell and light winds, but it’s not the same power as that 23rd Sunday.

So, if you’re picking your moment, the absolute standout is Sunday, August 23rd, morning and afternoon. That’s the big, clean, powerful groundswell with offshore winds. Saturday the 15th is a close second for the glassy conditions. The rest is either too small, too windy, or too far out to lock in.

Rusty.

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