Carola Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this one’s a tough run. Over the next 16 days, the only break on the radar is Carola, a reef setup for advanced surfers, and it’s honestly not looking good for a proper paddle session. There’s a big gap of dead-flat conditions from the start—no surf worth mentioning until the 15th, and even then it’s only tiny, weak waves. The whole period is a struggle, with several days-long gaps of zero energy. The water temp is sitting at 78°F, which is a whopping 8°F warmer than normal for this time of year—that’s seriously unusual, the ocean feels more like a bath.

The first bit of action comes on Saturday, August 15th afternoon at Carola. We’re looking at a tiny 0.7 ft of north swell, but it’s short-period at 8 seconds, and with a solid 16 mph south wind blowing cross-shore, the surface is a mess—moderate cross-shore with a cross-chop. The combined swell energy is a pathetic 6. This is not surfable. Sunday the 16th is even smaller, 0.3 ft in the morning, cleaner wind but still no push. The pattern repeats Monday and Tuesday: 0.7 ft to 1 ft, cross-off winds, but the swell is just too weak. The combined energy never hits double digits most days—it’s all in the single digits or zero. By the 20th and 21st, we’re looking at dead flat stretches with no swell at all.

There’s a little flicker of hope on Tuesday, August 25th morning—a 0.3 ft swell from the northwest with a 13-second period, which is a long-period groundswell. The combined energy bumps up to 13, but it’s still tiny. The wind is cross-off and clean, so the surface is glassy, but the size is so small it’s hardly a wave. Carola is a reef break, which can handle long-period swells well, but you need more than a ripple. The afternoon sees a 1 ft north swell return, but the wind swings cross-shore again, so it’s lumpy. The best of the whole 16 days might be that Tuesday morning—clean and a little longer period—but it’s a real stretch to call it a standout. The truth is, there’s nothing here that’s worth the drive.

If you’re a kite surfer, the stronger cross-shore winds on the 15th, 16th, and 25th afternoons might make the beach setup interesting, but for a paddle surfer, this is a long stretch of nothing. Carola’s fairly consistent, but in this window, it’s just not delivering. Hang tight—forecasts can change, and it rarely stays this poor for long.

Rusty.

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