Cactus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s coming up for Cactus.

Right now, we’re looking at a pretty rough start. The surf is there, but the wind is a mess. Friday morning has a bit of swell – 4ft from the southwest with a long 15 second period – but it’s a cross-offshore breeze, so it’s not clean. Combined wave energy is moderate (559). The water is sitting at 61°, which is about average for this time of year.

Friday afternoon and Saturday are a write-off. Onshore winds, choppy, poor conditions. Saturday actually sees some size – 7ft to 8ft – but it’s all wind-affected and short period, so it’s ugly. Sunday and Monday are bigger, with 8ft to 10ft southwest swells, but the wind is still onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy is getting strong (3263 up to 6398). This is too much for beginners and only for experts, but the wind is just shredding it. Not worth it.

Tuesday stays in the 8ft range, with long 16 second periods, but again cross-onshore winds keep it marginal. The energy is still in the strong range (2548 to 2943).

Now, here’s the standout. Wednesday, the 15th of July. That’s your window. The swell drops to a clean 6ft from the southwest, with a 15 second period, and the wind turns offshore from the east-northeast at 9 mph. That’s glassy, clean conditions. Combined energy is solid (1322). This is an intermediate reef break that’s fairly consistent, and it’s exposed to the southwest swell – exactly the direction it wants. Crowds are possible, so get there early. This is the best on offer. Thursday the 16th is smaller, 4ft, but still clean with cross-offshore winds, so it’s a decent backup.

After that, we hit a big gap. From Friday the 17th into the weekend, the swell drops right off, and the wind is strong or onshore. The 18th and 19th are poor, with small waves and messy wind. Then on the 20th, a big 10ft west-southwest swell rolls in, but it’s onshore wind again, so it’s a messy mess for experts only. The 21st and 22nd are marginal, with 8ft to 7ft and light cross-shore winds, but it’s not clean enough to get excited about.

The 23rd of July (Thursday) is another promising day. 5ft from the southwest, 15 second period, and cross-offshore winds from the north-northeast. Clean, good energy (838). That’s a solid option for a second look. After that, it fades into small, windy conditions through the 25th.

So, bottom line: if you want the best waves, aim for Wednesday the 15th. That’s the one. Thursday the 16th and Thursday the 23rd are good backups. The rest is either too windy, too big, or too small. Don’t waste your time on the weekends.

Rusty.

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