Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks for Castles, a reef break that’s exposed to the south-west swell and works best with a west-south-west direction. Water temp is sitting at 59°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The surf kicks off this Monday afternoon, the 17th of August. It’s not massive, with a 4ft south-west swell, but the period is a very long 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The wind is light easterly at 3 mph and glassy, so the surface will be clean. The combined energy is moderate (782). The waves should be well-shaped, but because of the long period, expect some lulls between sets. It'll be a decent session if you’re patient.

The next standout window is Thursday morning, the 20th of August. Swell is a bit smaller again at 3ft, but the wind has swung around to a light east-north-east at 6 mph, blowing offshore. That’s clean, lined-up surf. The combined energy is moderate (535). Then Thursday afternoon goes glassy again with a 4ft south-west swell, so that’s a good double-header.

The real highlight, though, is Friday morning, the 21st of August. The swell picks up to 6ft from the south-west with a period of 17 seconds, so the combined energy jumps to strong (1643). The wind is light and cross-offshore from the south-east at 3 mph, keeping the surface clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. At 6ft, it’s getting a bit solid for beginners, but if you’ve got the skills, that’s the session to target. The reef setup will handle that long-period swell nicely.

Saturday morning, the 22nd, is also a cracker. Still 5ft south-west swell, but the wind goes glassy with a light east-south-east breeze. The combined energy is strong (1142). If you miss Friday, this is your backup.

The clean conditions continue through Sunday the 23rd and into Monday the 24th, but the swell drops off. We’re looking at 4ft to 3ft, still with offshore winds, so it’s good for a cruiser session but not the standout.

There’s a big gap from the 25th through the 28th of August where the wind turns onshore and the surf gets messy. The swell actually gets bigger, up to 8ft on the 27th, but it’s onshore and choppy. For a reef break, that’s just not fun. The combined energy hits very strong (4529) on the afternoon of the 27th, but the onshore winds kill it. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The run ends with a return to clean conditions on the 29th and 30th of August. The wind goes light offshore again, and the swell is back to a manageable 4ft with a 15-second period. The 30th of August afternoon, in particular, has a light east-north-east offshore breeze, making for some clean, glassy waves. It’s a solid way to finish the month.

The very end of the forecast, into the 31st of August and the 1st of September, has solid swell but strong winds that ruin the surface. The 31st has a 4ft to 4ft swell with a very long 19-second period, but the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-offshore, which is tricky. The combined energy is moderate to strong (937-1040), but the wind will make it challenging.

So, overall, the best bet is Friday the 21st of August, with the Saturday the 22nd as a close second. The 20th is also a great day. Everything else is clean but smaller, or the wind ruins it.

Rusty

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