Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a mixed bag coming our way for Cape Schanck over the next 16 days. There’s some serious potential in the second week, but you’ll need to be patient and pick your windows carefully.

The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about 1° warmer than the average for this time of year – nothing too wild, just a touch on the mild side.

We’re looking at a pretty quiet start. The first solid recommendation isn’t until Friday, the 7th of August. So, you’re looking at a gap of nearly a week of mostly poor conditions with strong onshore winds and lumpy, messy surf. Don’t bother before that.

Friday, August 7th – Finally, a glimmer of hope. The Friday morning session at Cape Schanck (a reef setup) has a solid 6ft of SW groundswell with a 16-second period, offering good energy (1816). The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the N, which will keep the surface tidy. It’s a consistent spot, but it can get crowded, so get in early. The afternoon cleans up further with a lighter breeze, 5ft swell, and the rating is better. This is a solid day for experienced surfers looking for a proper wave.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Tuesday, August 11th. The morning sees a building 7ft SW swell (15-second period) with glassy, light NNW cross-offshore wind. The energy is pumping at 2322. The afternoon is even better – dead glassy conditions with the same 7ft swell. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, with clean, powerful lines. For a point or reef like this, that long-period groundswell (over 15 seconds) will wrap in beautifully, offering long, walled-up rides. The crowds will be a factor, but the quality will be worth it.

Wednesday, August 12th backs it up with another day of excellent conditions. Morning has 8ft of SW swell with a light cross-offshore breeze. That’s getting into the expert-only zone, but it’s clean. The afternoon drops to a still-very-healthy 8ft with glassy conditions. Again, this is for the experienced crew.

Thursday, August 14th – A massive 10ft SW swell (17-second period) rolls in on Friday morning, with a 5348 energy reading. That’s a huge, powerful groundswell. The wind is light onshore, so it’s not going to be the cleanest, but for the experts out there, this is a big, heavy, moving ocean. The afternoon drops to 8ft with a very light onshore breeze. This is serious, dangerous surf for the top tier only.

The final call is Sunday, August 16th – a nice clean-up with 5ft of SW swell and a light cross-offshore breeze. It’s a good, clean option to close out the forecast period.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The second week, starting with Friday the 7th, is where it’s at, but the absolute standouts are Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th for clean, powerful, high-quality surf. Get your board ready for that.

Rusty.

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