Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe for one of our local jewels.

The coming week has a bit of a split personality. We’re looking at some solid, clean surf early on, but the later half of the week and beyond gets wild and tricky. The best window is definitely the first few days, with a standout on Wednesday morning.

We kick things off this Tuesday morning, July 7th, at Cape Schanck. It’s not the biggest, with a 3 ft SW swell, but it’s got some serious legs with a 17-second period and a light offshore breeze from the NE. The water is sitting at 58°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate (850), and with the conditions, it’s going to be a fun, clean session.

Tuesday afternoon sees the swell bump up to 5 ft, but the wind swings SE, putting it cross-shore. It’s still surfable, but not as clean as the morning.

Now, the real highlight is Wednesday morning, July 8th. The swell is a solid 5 ft from the SW, with a 19-second period that’s packing some serious grunt. The combined energy jumps right up (2403), and with a light NE offshore breeze, the waves at Cape Schanck will be clean and have plenty of power. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, and the best of the whole outlook.

Wednesday afternoon gets a bit bigger, 7 ft, but the cross-shore wind makes it a bit messy. Come Thursday, July 9th, we get a few more good windows. Thursday morning sees a 5 ft SW swell with a 16-second period and a cross-offshore breeze, making for clean conditions. By Thursday afternoon, the wind goes glassy, with a 4 ft, 15-second period swell. That’s a dreamy window for a quiet session.

Friday, July 10th, holds up with consistent 5-5 ft SW swell and clean, cross-offshore winds all day. The combined energy is moderate (around 1000-1272), so the waves won't be huge but will be well-shaped.

Then the wheels come off. Saturday, July 11th, the wind howls from the NNW at 25 mph. Don’t bother. The swell is small and the conditions are terrible. That continues through Sunday, July 12th, with strong winds and a 7-8 ft SW swell that’s blown out.

The rest of the outlook is a write-off for clean surfing. The next week is dominated by fresh to strong cross-onshore winds, and the swell gets big, into the 10 ft to 13 ft range. The combined energy from the 13th to the 15th is massive (from 3783 up to 11203), but it's all blown to bits. That kind of heavy, onshore energy is more interesting for the kite surfers than for paddle surfing.

There’s a brief glimmer on Friday, July 17th, with a 7 ft SW swell and a moderate cross-offshore breeze, but it’s a marginal call. The rest of the extended forecast into the 22nd is just more of the same: big, messy, and blown out.

So, the short story: get it while it's good. The early mornings, especially Wednesday, July 8th, are the real deal. After that, it’s a waiting game for the winds to calm down.

Rusty.

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