Carola Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve got to be straight with you. The surf outlook for this stretch is looking pretty grim for a good while. We’re staring down a long, flat spell, so if you’re Jonesing for a wave, you might want to find something else to do for the next week and a half or so.

The only spot with any real potential in this window is Carola, a reef break that’s pretty much an expert’s game. It’s exposed to the north, and it’s one of those spots that needs a particular angle to show its stuff. Right now, we’ve got nothing but tiny, short-period leftovers, and it’s not looking good.

The water here is running at a balmy 78°, which is a solid 8° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s not just a little warm, that’s a full-on marine heatwave, and it’s going to make the air feel thick and the water feel like a bath.

From Tuesday the 18th through to the 28th, the story is same old, same old. We’re looking at flatness or ankle-biters at best. There’s a weak bit of north energy pushing in, but it’s got a short period of 8 seconds and the swell heights are barely registering – we’re talking 0.3ft to 1ft. The combined energy of all swells directed here is pitiful, mostly single digits and low teens. It’s just a lot of nothing. Don’t even bother checking the cam.

Then, around Friday the 28th, things get slightly interesting. There’s a pulse of NNW swell showing up, and the period jumps to 11 seconds, which is a sign of a more distant, more powerful groundswell. We’re still only looking at 0.7ft of swell, and the energy is still low – around 11 or 12 in the combined reading. But, that longer period is a step in the right direction. The wind is still a cross-off shore, so it could be clean, but with that little swell, it’ll still be a struggle. Saturday the 29th keeps that similar energy but it’s still very small.

Then it flatlines again until the very end of the window. On Monday the 31st of August, there’s a blip of south swell with a super short 4-second period and a 2ft swell. That’s just wind chop, not surf. It’s going to be a mess. The energy reading is a little higher, at 16, but it’s all that short, messy wind-swell.

So, what’s the call? There is no standout. There are no epic days on the horizon. This is a long, dry spell for Carola. The setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for most of this period, to be honest.

If you’re a beginner, stay home. There’s nothing for you. If you’re an expert and you’re just desperate, maybe those mornings on the 28th and 29th with the longer-period NNW swell could offer a few micro-sessions, but don’t get your hopes up. It’s a waiting game. Things can change, but right now, the ocean is on a coffee break.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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