Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next 16 days for Castles. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – it’s a grim stretch. There’s no real quality surf on the horizon, and I’m not seeing any days that are gonna get the stoke levels up. It’s a long, flat, and messy run.

For the first week, we’re talking tiny, weak, and mostly onshore slop. Thursday the 9th is a write-off with a risk of thunderstorms, a cross-on southerly breeze, and a pathetic 2ft wave from the east. Energy is just 53 (combined energy of all swells directed here), which is basically nothing. The water is sitting at 77°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a full 5° above average – feels like a bath, but not in a good way.

Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th see a bit of a clean-up with some offshore and glassy conditions, but the swell is still tiny – 2ft at best. You might get a knee-high ripple, but it’s not going to be worth paddling out for. The energy is still weak, bouncing between 37 and 83. The swell period is short, around 6-7 seconds, so no power behind it.

The whole middle of the window is just a blur of cross-shore wind and tiny, blown-out waves. From Sunday the 12th right through to Friday the 17th, we’re looking at mostly 1ft to 3ft of messy, short-period swell. The wind is all over the place – cross, cross-on, cross-off – but none of it is good for creating a wave worth riding. The energy rarely breaks 80, and the wave comment is always “poor surf conditions.” It’s a total dud.

Then, on Saturday the 18th, we finally see a jump in size. The swell hits 6ft in the morning, building to 8ft in the afternoon from the SSW. The energy jumps to 237 and then 483, so there’s definitely some water moving. But here’s the kicker – the period is still a short 6-7 seconds, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore, making it a lumpy, choppy mess. At 8ft, this is only for experts, and with the wind and short period, it’s going to be a battle. For a beach break like Castles, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The final few days from the 19th to the 24th are more of the same. Sunday the 19th afternoon gets a brief moment of offshore wind and a 3ft wave, which is the only “surfable” window in the whole outlook, but it’s a 1 out of 10 – barely worth mentioning. Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd see some 4ft to 5ft swell, but it’s all cross-on or lumpy cross-shore wind. The last day, Thursday the 24th, is a 3ft onshore mess with 22 mph winds.

Honestly, it’s a classic blank run. Castles is a fairly consistent spot, so it’s unusual to see such a poor stretch, but it happens. You’re better off finding something else to do for the next two weeks. The forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing to get excited about.

Rusty.

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