Cactus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming our way.

First off, we’ve got a bit of a rough patch to get through. The early part of this run is not looking good at all. There’s a solid swell coming in from the southwest, but it’s being hammered by strong winds, making things blown out and messy. From Friday the 9th right through to the end of the second week, it’s a real mixed bag, with a lot of onshore wind and poor quality. The waves are there, but the conditions are a battle for most of it.

Let’s talk about Cactus. This is a reef break, intermediate level, exposed to the southwest swell. The water temp is sitting at 60°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The first real window we get is on the morning of Saturday the 15th of August. This is the standout. We’ve got a clean 6 ft swell from the southwest with a 16-second period – that’s proper groundswell, long lines. The wind is offshore from the east-northeast at 9 mph, and the combined swell energy is solid at 1654. This is the one to circle. It’s going to be clean, powerful, and really fun for intermediate surfers. The long period might make it a bit straight at the beach, but at a reef, it should be excellent. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so keep that in mind.

After that, the following afternoon on Sunday the 16th of August, we get a glassy session. Wind is dead calm, zero mph, with a 4 ft swell from the southwest. The period is 15 seconds, so still some good energy (combined energy 545), but it’s much smaller. It’s a great option for a longboard or a cruiser board when you just want to enjoy the conditions.

There’s a bit of a lull through the middle of the week, with some cross-offshore winds and clean faces on the 18th of August (Tuesday), but the swell is inconsistent and a bit small, with 4 ft to 5 ft waves. It’s surfable, but not the main event.

Towards the very end of the run, on Friday the 22nd of August, the swell picks up again, but the wind swings onshore from the west-southwest, blowing it out. It’s a shame because there’s plenty of size, but the quality just isn’t there for paddling.

The bottom line: The clear winner here is the Saturday the 15th of August morning at Cactus. That offshore wind with a clean, solid southwest swell is your best bet. After that, the Sunday afternoon glass-off is the next best thing for a fun, relaxed session.

Stay sharp, and don’t sleep on that 15th.

Rusty

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