Cactus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a solid window of SW groundswell on the horizon for Cactus, but it’s a bit of a slow cooker. The first few days are a write-off with fresh cross-onshore winds and lumpy, poor surf through Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th. The swell is there, but it’s ugly.

The real action starts to show its face on Thursday the 30th. That morning, the wind swings offshore from the NE, and we get a clean 5 ft SW swell with a period of 13 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 784, but the light offshore breeze will make it rideable. The water temp is 60°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. It’s not pumping, but it’s the first real window of clean surf after a couple of rough days.

Keep an eye on Friday afternoon, July 31st. The swell drops to 3 ft, but the wind goes near-silent with a cross-off breeze, and the period stretches to 14 seconds. The energy is still low at 609, but it’ll be tidy and fun for a longboard.

The standout of the whole run, though, is without a doubt Sunday afternoon, August 2nd. We get a clean 8 ft SW swell with a 16-second period – that’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is 2664, which is strong. The wind is cross-offshore from the SE, keeping it clean. This is a bigger swell, over 6 ft, so it’s for the more experienced crew. The long period will make for some nice lines, but at a reef break like Cactus, it should handle it well. Crowds are possible here, so don’t expect to have it to yourself.

There’s a gap of poor or marginal conditions after that until Saturday, August 9th, when we see another 6 ft SW groundswell with a 19-second period, but it’s a straight onshore wind. That one’s a miss.

Then, for the second week, we get a big pulse of energy around Monday, August 10th. The swell hits 10 ft from the SW, with a 14-second period and massive energy at 5765. That’s a big, powerful swell, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, making it lumpy. It’s a beast of a wave, but not clean. By Wednesday the 12th, it’s 12 ft from the SW with energy over 7000, but it’s onshore and messy. This late run is for experts only, and even then, the wind is a problem. It’s promising for size, but the quality is a gamble this far out.

Rusty.

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