Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board, let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Castles.

The next few days are going to be a battle. We’ve got some energy in the water, but it’s all over the place. For Friday and through the weekend, we’re looking at tiny, weak surf. The swell is hanging around 1ft to 3ft with short-period, wind-slop energy. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, so it’s going to be a bit of a mess. There’s a hint of cleaner conditions early Sunday morning with a light offshore wind, but the swell is just too small to get excited about. We’re talking about a weak combined energy of 53 to 73 here, so it’s not doing much.

This flat spell is going to drag on. From Monday the 15th through to the 21st, we’re looking at a pretty solid run of nothing. The swell stays small, mostly under 4ft, and the winds are all over the place, from cross-shore to fresh and strong breezes. There’s a lot of chop and lumpy conditions out there. This is a blank period, plain and simple.

Then things get interesting. On Tuesday the 22nd, the ocean starts to wake up. We’ve got a building easterly swell, jumping to 6ft to 7ft. The combined energy is starting to get moderate at 397 to 509. It’s still cross-shore and a bit messy, but there’s finally some push in the water. The period is still short at 7-8 seconds, so it’s not going to be world-class, but it’s a start.

The real standout, if you’re patient, is going to be Thursday the 24th. The swell kicks up to 10ft to 12ft from the east, with the energy reading a strong 968 to 1664. The period jumps a bit, too. Thursday morning is looking like the pick. We’ve got a light offshore wind, and the conditions are reading clean. This is big, powerful surf. At 10ft plus, this is expert territory only, definitely not for the beginners. The swell direction is from the east, which is a bit off the optimum for this spot, but the size and the clean conditions will make up for it. It’s going to be a beast.

Friday the 25th is still big, with 12ft waves, but the wind swings onshore, which will chop it up. Saturday the 26th sees the swell start to drop back down to 8ft to 8ft, but the wind is still a problem.

So, the long and short of it: there’s a lot of flatness and frustration to get through in the first week. But if you can wait it out, Thursday the 24th is the morning to be out there for the big-wave crew. It’s promising, but it’s over a week away, so keep an eye on it.

The water’s warm too, about 77°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. You won’t need a thick suit.

Alright, stay patient and keep an eye on the ocean.

Rusty.

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