Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get straight into it. I’m looking at the charts for Castles, and I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough stretch. There’s barely a ripple worth paddling for over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long, flat spell ahead.

Right now, and for the next several days, it’s all small, weak, and messy. The water temperature here is sitting at 77°, which is a massive 6° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s really unusual – it’s like the ocean forgot what season it is. But the surf? Almost non-existent.

We start off on Sunday the 6th with tiny 1 ft swell from the ENE, but the wind is a cross-shore breeze that’s putting a chop on it. The combined energy is a weak 28, and it’s just not worth getting wet. That trend holds through Monday and Tuesday – we get a couple of clean mornings with light offshore winds, but the swell is only 1.0 ft to 2 ft. Not enough to push a floaty down the line.

Wednesday the 9th sees a shift in wind, but it’s from the SW at 12-22 mph, cross or cross-on, and the swell is tiny and choppy. Still no go.

Thursday the 10th brings a bit more size – we see 6 ft from the SSW in the morning, and the combined energy jumps to 221 (moderate). But the wind is a cross-shore at 16 mph, and the period is a short 6 seconds. It’s going to be lumpy, sectiony, and pretty average. For a beginner-friendly sandbar like Castles, that’s not ideal. The afternoon drops back to 4 ft.

Friday the 11th has a clean window with a light cross-offshore wind and 3 ft from the south, but the energy is weak at 82. It’s rideable if you’re desperate, but nothing to write home about.

From there, it’s a long run of poor surf. Saturday the 12th through to Tuesday the 15th is mostly onshore wind, small swell, and choppy conditions. There’s a brief moment on Tuesday the 15th afternoon with a fresh offshore wind from the NNW and 3 ft swell, but the period is a short 5 seconds, so it’ll be weak and quick. Energy is only 80.

The rest of the second week is more of the same. We see glassy conditions on Saturday the 19th morning with 3 ft from the east, and the wind is dead calm – that’s the cleanest we’ll get. But the swell is tiny, period is 6 seconds, and combined energy is just 72. A few fun little rollers for a longboard maybe, but nothing with any push.

Honestly, there are no standout days here. The only one that even slightly catches the eye is Thursday the 10th for size, but the quality is poor. For the rest, it’s a waiting game. The forecasts can change, and it doesn’t tend to stay this quiet forever, but right now, it’s looking like a solid 16-day gap with no proper surf. Leave the board at home and go for a swim instead.

- Rusty

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