Cactus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Cactus.

We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, and the first week is where the real magic lives. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so no need to dig out the thickest rubber just yet.

The action kicks off Monday morning, July 6th. We’re looking at a clean 4 ft SW swell with a long 14-second period. The wind is a gentle offshore breeze from the NE, so expect clean, lined-up waves at Cactus. The combined energy is a moderate 536, and the conditions are set up for a really good session.

Tuesday the 7th keeps the good times rolling. Morning is another clean 4 ft SW swell, 15-second period, with offshore ENE wind. The afternoon glassed off a bit with the wind going light and variable, and the swell bumped up to 4 ft with a 16-second period. Energy jumped to 635, and it was still very good.

Now, Wednesday the 8th is a standout. The morning brings a bigger 6 ft SW swell with a 17-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, and while it can be a bit straight at some beach breaks, this is a reef setup, so it should groom beautifully. The wind is offshore, and the energy is a strong 1710. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The afternoon is even better with the wind going glassy, dead calm, and the swell still a solid 5 ft. That’s as good as it gets.

Thursday the 9th is still a very good morning with a clean 4 ft SW swell, but the wind swings onshore in the afternoon, so get your session in early.

We hit a bit of a rough patch from Friday the 10th through to Sunday the 12th. The wind gets nasty, blowing strong onshore and cross-off, making a mess of things. The swell gets bigger but the quality drops right off. Saturday the 11th sees a brief, short-period 8 ft WSW windswell that’s just a mess, and on Sunday the 12th, the swell jumps to 10 ft under strong onshore winds. That’s expert-only territory and even then, it’s ugly.

Things get interesting again on Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th. We get a big, powerful SW groundswell, with periods hitting 19 seconds and energy over 4000. The wave heights are 7 ft to 7 ft, but the wind is onshore, making it tricky. The 14th is a bit better with a cross-shore wind, but still not perfect. This is heavy, powerful stuff, so only for the well-prepared.

The next standout comes on Wednesday the 15th. The morning is back to pure gold. A clean 5 ft SW swell with a 16-second period, light offshore wind from the ENE, and energy at 1348. This is another excellent, clean session for experienced surfers. The afternoon is a bit bumpier with a cross-shore wind.

Thursday the 16th is a good, clean morning with a 4 ft SW swell, but it’s a drop in size.

From Friday the 17th onward, the wind picks up again in a big way, with strong breezes, and the swell quality falls apart. It’s a long stretch of poor conditions right through to the end of the window on Tuesday the 21st. There’s some size on Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th, but with strong onshore winds and rain, it’s a write-off for proper surfing.

So, to wrap it up: the best wave of the whole run is clearly Wednesday morning, July 8th, with that 6 ft SW groundswell and offshore wind. The second best is Wednesday morning, July 15th, with the clean 5 ft SW swell. Get on it early, because the second week looks like a windy, messy write-off.

Rusty.

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