Cap Sim Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about the next couple of weeks in the surf. Straight up, it's a pretty weird one for Cap Sim. We're looking at a solid run of waves, but the wind is the real story, and it's not a good one for a while.

The first ten days or so are a write-off for a decent paddle. From Sunday the 19th of July right through to the end of the month, the combo of strong northerly winds—often 25 mph or more—and short-period swell creates a messy, blown-out situation. The swell is pumping, with energy levels climbing from 253 all the way up to 847, but it's all wind-slop. The wave period is stuck at 6 to 8 seconds, so it's gutless, choppy, and just plain ugly. We're talking chest-to-head-high junk, but it's not worth suiting up for. This spot is exposed, so it's copping the full brunt of that northerly wind. It's a real shame because the swell is there, but the quality is zero.

The tide and wind do finally ease up around the 27th and 28th of July, bumping the score up to a 'marginal' call. The wind drops to around 12 mph, and the swell holds at 7 ft to 8 ft, period still short at 7 seconds. It's cleaner, but the energy is still messy. It's getting there, but not quite on.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window is the end of the month. Wednesday the 29th of July through to Friday the 31st of July is the pick of the forecast. The swell direction swings around to the NNW, which is a better angle, and the period jumps to 10 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy spikes to 1194 on Wednesday afternoon, which is serious power. The wind goes light, with Friday morning the 31st showing glassy conditions with a 3 mph breeze from the NW. The swell is a solid 6 ft at 10 seconds, with energy at 657. That’s a clean, lined-up, powerful wave at Cap Sim. It’s a reef break, so a long-period groundswell like this will be working perfectly. Keep in mind, at 6 ft to 8 ft, this is expert territory, not for the groms. The water is about average for this time of year, no big anomalies to mention.

Come Saturday the 1st of August, the wind picks up again from the NNE, and the swell starts to fade. By Sunday the 2nd, it’s back to a strong offshore breeze, which is clean but makes it hard to paddle into the 4 ft to 4 ft waves.

So, for the next couple of weeks, the first week is a total loss. The second week has a real gem of a window from the 29th to the 31st. If you can score that glassy morning on the 31st, you’ll be grinning. Beyond that, it’s a gamble.

Rusty.

Read more