Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, lookin’ at the charts for the local stretch. We’ve only got one spot on the menu for the next couple of weeks, and it’s a goodie when the stars align. Hang tight, there’s some magic in store, but we gotta earn it with a bit of patience.

First up, let's talk about the water. For our first featured break, the temps are sittin' right about average for this time of year, nothing too crazy.

Alright, let's paddle out. Monday the 6th is a gentle start. A clean 4 ft SW swell rollin' in from the southwest with a nice long 14 second period. The wind is off shore from the northeast at 9 mph, making for some glassy, clean faces at Castles. The combined energy is moderate at best right now (536), but it’s a nice, easy starter.

Tuesday the 7th looks similar, maybe a touch better. That SW swell holds at 4 ft, but the period stretches out to 15 seconds in the morning and then a lovely 16 seconds by the afternoon. That’s proper groundswell energy. The wind stays light off the land, and you’ll be sharing the lineup with a few others. The afternoon session looks especially nice with that light breeze.

Now, Wednesday the 8th? That’s the standout of the first week, no doubt. We’ve got a solid 6 ft SW groundswell with a rippin’ 17 second period. The combined swell energy jumps right up to 1710 – proper moderate power. Morning offshores at 9 mph from the northeast, and then the afternoon turns to 3 mph from the east, with the ocean goin’ glassy. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The crowds will be there, but on a day like this, it’s a small price to pay for perfection.

Thursday the 9th, the swell backs off to 4 ft, but it’s still clean in the morning with a light cross-offshore breeze. The afternoon gets onshore wind and messy, so make your move early.

Friday the 10th through Tuesday the 15th? Brace yourselves. It’s a bit of a mixed bag with a lot of poor conditions. The wind swings around, getting strong and onshore. We get a big pulse of swell on Saturday the 11th with an 8 ft WSW windswell and short 8 second period, but a nasty 28 mph onshore wind. That’s a write-off. Sunday the 12th has 10 ft of SW swell but the wind is howling onshore at 19 mph. Monday the 13th looks like a big, bumpy mess with 7 ft swell and onshore wind. Just a heads up, the wind and swell combo from the 11th to the 13th looks more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle board.

After that rough stretch, things clean up again. Wednesday the 15th is the second real standout. The swell comes back in at 5 ft from the southwest with a 16 second period. But the magic is the wind: a clean offshore from the ENE at 6 mph. You’ll have the place to yourselves for the most part, and the energy is solid (1348). This is a morning mission you do not want to miss.

After the 15th, the surf winds down. Thursday the 16th still has clean 4 ft waves, but the size drops off. From Friday the 17th through the end of the forecast on the 21st of July, it goes pretty quiet. The wind picks up again, swells get smaller or come in with bad wind. There’s a gap of about 5 days with no real recommendations worth paddling out for. The 21st of July offers a tiny 5 ft swell but it’s cross-onshore and weak.

So, to sum it up: jump on Wednesday the 8th for the first standout, and then set your alarm for Wednesday the 15th for the second. Those are your two best windows.

Rusty.

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