Cactus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this out there. The 16-day window starts with a bit of a whimper, but there are some real gems tucked away if you’re willing to be patient.

The first few days are pretty marginal. Wednesday and Thursday (the 5th and 6th) have some small swell, around 2ft to 4ft, but it’s not doing much. The wind is a bit messy, so it’s not really worth the paddle. The water temp is 60°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no major surprises there.

Then Friday the 7th shows a bit more life. Swell bumps up to 5-5ft with a 16-17 second period, and the wind is cross-offshore. The energy is moderate (1364), but the forecast notes it’s still marginal. It’s clean, but maybe not the best shape.

The weekend (the 8th and 9th) is a write-off. The wind goes onshore and gets strong, and the swell gets messy and big. Not for the faint-hearted. Saturday has 5ft but it’s poor, and Sunday gets much bigger with short period, onshore gales. That’s a full miss.

The start of the second week, from Monday the 10th through Thursday the 13th, is a period of too much of a good thing. We’re looking at solid SW groundswell, 8ft to 12ft, with strong energy (up to 9263). But the wind is onshore and strong, making it a complete mess. This is not a paddle-surfing window. If you’ve got a kite, maybe, but for a surfboard, it’s a hard pass.

Things start to settle down around Friday the 14th. The swell is still pumping at 8-8ft, but the wind is lighter. Still, it’s cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s not great.

The first real standout is Saturday the 15th. The swell drops to a more manageable 5-6ft, and the wind goes light and cross-shore. It’s not perfect, but it’s the cleanest it’s been in a while. The energy is moderate (1532).

But the true gem in this whole window is Sunday the 16th. The wind goes light offshore/cross-offshore and it’s glassy. The swell is a clean 4ft from the SW with a 15-second period. The energy is lower (842), but the conditions are prime. This is the day to be out there. It’s clean, and the wave quality will be worth the wait. The long period means it might be a bit straight at the beach breaks, but at a reef like Cactus, it should be lining up nicely. This is the pick of the bunch.

The following Monday the 17th has some clean waves with offshore wind, but the energy jumps around and it’s not quite as good. And then we see the last real standout on Wednesday the 19th. The swell is 6-6ft from the SW with a long 17-second period. The wind is offshore, and by the afternoon it goes glassy. This is another excellent window for experienced surfers. The energy is moderate to strong (1904). This one is worth planning for.

The rest of the second week fades out with smaller, cleaner surf but nothing that really stands out.

So, to keep it simple: the best bets are Sunday the 16th and Wednesday the 19th. The 16th will be the cleaner of the two, but the 19th has a bit more size. Both are worth the wait.

Rusty.

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