Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the outlook for Cape Schanck.

We’re in for a bit of a tough start, to be honest. The first few days are a write-off. Strong, messy winds are going to wreck the surf. Thursday the 23rd through Sunday the 26th of July are all poor, with the wind screaming from the west and making everything lumpy and cross-onshore. The swell is pumping – we’re talking 10 to 12 feet from the south-west, with a massive amount of energy – but it’s just not rideable. You’d need a kite, not a paddle board, for that kind of mess.

Things start to look a little more interesting from Monday the 27th. The swell drops a bit to around 5 to 6 feet, and the wind swings to a cleaner cross-offshore from the north-northwest. It’s clean, but it’s nothing to write home about, but it’s a start.

Now, the real highlight, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Monday the 3rd of August. That morning, Cape Schanck is going to be firing. The wind is light and offshore from the north, and the swell is a solid 10 feet from the south-west, with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and the energy is absolutely pumping. This is big, powerful surf. It’s not for beginners – over 8 feet makes it expert-only – but for the experienced crew, this is the standout. The water temp is about 57°, which is normal for this time of year.

The crowd situation at Cape Schanck is something to keep in mind – it’s often busy, so you’ll want to be early for that Monday session. The reef setup here likes a south-easterly swell direction, and this south-west energy is a little off that optimum, but at this size and period, it’ll still produce some excellent, glassy waves. The afternoon of the 3rd looks just as good, with glassy conditions, too.

There’s also a decent window on Saturday the 2nd of August. The afternoon session is glassy with a 6-foot south-west swell and a 15-second period – that’s clean, fun surf for the experienced.

After that, the swell starts to fade and the winds turn more offshore, so the surf gets smaller and cleaner but drops off through the second week. The second week is more about clean, small waves for the longboard, with swell dropping to around 3 feet or less.

So, to sum it up: the first few days are a complete washout, but don’t give up. The Monday the 3rd of August is your absolute best bet for a big, powerful, and clean session. Make sure your skills are up for it.

Rusty.

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