Cactus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. The only spot on the radar for this stretch is Cactus, a reef break that’s exposed to the southwest swell. The water temperature is sitting right around average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off. Tuesday, the 25th of August, we’ve got a strong 7ft SW swell rolling in, but the wind is howling from the SSW at 16 mph, making it a messy, cross-onshore affair. Combined wave energy is high at 1832, but it’s poor quality. Tuesday afternoon eases slightly to 6ft, but still choppy.

Wednesday the 26th sees the swell drop to 4ft, but the wind swings around to the NNE at 12 mph, turning cross-offshore. The afternoon session looks cleaner with 3ft and a light breeze, a nice little window of good surf. Thursday the 27th has a fresh 22 mph north wind, but it’s cross-off, keeping the 3ft to 3ft lines clean. The swell period jumps to 19 seconds on Thursday afternoon, a long-period groundswell, which really suits Cactus as a reef.

Now, the standout. Friday the 28th of August. The morning is your best bet. We’ve got a solid 5ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period, and the wind is a light 6 mph offshore from the NE. The wave energy is substantial at 1144, and it’s clean. That’s excellent surf for experienced surfers. The afternoon stays clean-ish but turns cross-shore, still okay.

Saturday the 29th has clean conditions with moderate offshore winds, but the swell is dropping to under 3ft, so it’s fun but small. Sunday the 30th is a mixed bag with a peak in the afternoon: 3ft, 19-second period, and a slight air, making it very clean. Monday the 31st of August is another big one. The morning brings 6ft SW swell at 17 seconds with a light offshore breeze, massive wave energy of 1837, and excellent, clean conditions. That’s a real highlight.

Tuesday the 1st of September and Wednesday the 2nd stay clean but the swell sits around 4ft, still fun. But from Wednesday afternoon onward, the wind turns directly onshore from the WSW, and the surf turns poor through the 3rd of September. Thursday the 3rd is a washout.

The 4th of September is a bit of a tease. The morning is clean with 4ft, but the afternoon jumps to 7ft with a cross-shore chop, making it marginal. Saturday the 5th of September is a no-go: near gale-force cross-onshore winds at 34 mph and heavy rain. That’s blown out.

Sunday the 6th of September eases off with 6ft to 7ft swell and a light cross-onshore, but it’s still marginal. The final big call is Monday the 7th of September. The morning has 8ft SW swell at 16 seconds, clean, with a moderate offshore breeze. The wave energy is a massive 3708. This is big, powerful, and only for the experienced crew. The afternoon turns onshore, so get it early.

After that, it’s a couple of days of strong SW winds and messy conditions through the 8th and 9th.

So, to wrap it up: the two absolute standouts are Friday the 28th of August morning and Monday the 31st of August morning. Both offer clean, powerful, long-period SW groundswell with light offshore winds. If you’re an intermediate or better, those are the sessions to circle. The long-period swell will make the sets a bit waiting, but the energy and shape will be worth it. Crowds are possible at Cactus, so get there early.

Rusty.

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