Black Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, hard look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks at Black Rock. This is a solid, advanced-level reef break that’s exposed to the swell and needs the wind to play nice. The good news is, there’s some fun size on the way, but we’ve got to wade through a lot of junk first.

The first week is pretty grim. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves with poor conditions. Monday the 13th starts with a tiny 2ft, 9-second swell from the southeast, and while the morning is glassy, the energy is very weak (58). That’s not enough to get excited about. From Tuesday the 14th through most of Thursday the 17th, it’s flat to barely ankle-high with onshore crud. You’d be wasting your time.

Things get a little more interesting, but not better, by Friday the 17th. The swell jumps up to a solid 8ft from the southeast, with a short, choppy 8-second period. That’s a lot of water moving around (combined energy 787), but it’s coming with a strong cross-onshore wind. That’s a messy, blown-out combo. For an advanced spot like Black Rock, that’s going to be a washing machine, not a wave. The weekend stays big and messy, with 8ft to 12ft swells (energy up to 1693) but the wind just won’t let up. The morning of Sunday the 19th has an 12ft, 9-second ESE swell (energy 1693), but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a good paddle session.

Now, the light at the end of the tunnel. We start to see a real shift around Tuesday the 21st of July. The morning is the standout. You’ll get a clean 6ft swell from the east (10-second period) with a light cross-offshore wind from the southwest. The energy is moderate (687) and the conditions are clean. That’s your best window in the whole outlook. The combination of a decent size, decent period, and clean wind at Black Rock is a rare treat.

Wednesday the 22nd morning is still a good option, with a 4ft, 9-second, clean east swell and light cross-offshore wind, but it’s a step down in size. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th mornings are looking glassy and clean with 4ft waves, but the energy is lower. The absolute sleeper pick might be Saturday the 25th afternoon. The swell picks up to 5ft from the east, with a longer 11-second period, and it’s glassy. The energy climbs to 493, and it’s going to be clean. If you can wait that long, that’s a solid call.

The second week is a bit of a mixed bag. The last few days of July and into August show a tapering off. The swell drops back to 3ft to 3ft, with better periods (11-12 seconds) but the wind can be a bit stronger. The Monday morning of the 27th has a clean 3ft swell with a decent offshore wind, but it’s on the small side. The energy is weak (197). It’s surfable, but nothing to rush out for.

For the water temp, it’s about average for this time of year, so a standard spring suit is fine.

So, the call is simple. The first week is a write-off. The standout is the Tuesday morning, July 21st. That’s your best chance for a proper session. The Saturday afternoon, July 25th is a close second, with glassy conditions and a longer period swell. For the rest, it’s mostly small and clean, but low energy.

Rusty.

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