Cathedral Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks.

First up, we’ve got a solid, long-period groundswell rolling in from the south-southwest, aimed right at Cathedral Rock. This is a point break, and it’s fairly exposed to that swell, so it’s going to soak up the energy. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary.

The standout period kicks off on Friday, July 24th. Friday morning is looking a bit messy with a cross-shore breeze, but the swell is pumping at 16ft with a 15-second period. That’s a ton of energy (19222). Friday afternoon, though, the wind shifts to a cross-offshore breeze, cleaning it right up. The swell drops a touch to 15ft, but it’s still a massive, powerful wave. This is your best bet for the whole run – big, clean, and the wind is helping. This is for experienced surfers only; 16ft is way beyond a beginner’s game.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th see the swell easing off, but it’s still in the 10ft to 12ft range. The wind is a bit cross or cross-off, so it’s not terrible, but the energy is dropping and the scores reflect that. It’s surfable, but not the top pick.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. From Monday the 27th through to Thursday the 30th, the swell drops to 6ft to 8ft. The wind is often clean, but the wave energy is low (in the hundreds to low thousands). It’s a bit of a flat spell, but there are some clean windows. The morning of Thursday the 30th has a clean 7ft swell, but it’s only one highlight in a quieter stretch.

Now, hang on for the second week, because it gets interesting again. Saturday, August 1st is a real standout. The morning is clean with an 12ft swell, but the afternoon is where it’s at: 10ft of swell coming from the southwest with a 13-second period, and cross-offshore winds from the northwest. The energy is strong (6182), and the wave comment says excellent. This is a top-tier afternoon session.

Sunday, August 2nd, brings a new pulse of very long-period swell (18 seconds), but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore. It’s a big, powerful groundswell at 12ft, but the wind is going to mess it up a bit. It might be a bit straighter at this point break, but the energy is huge (7930). Worth a look if you’re desperate, but the wind is a problem.

The week of the 3rd to the 7th is a mix. The wind is generally light, but often cross-onshore, so the surf is a bit lumpy. The morning of Tuesday, August 5th is a gem: 6ft of southwest swell, glassy conditions with a NNE wind at 3 mph. That’s a rare, clean, perfectly lined-up window. The wave energy is moderate (1340), but the quality will be high.

The final push comes on Friday, August 7th and Saturday, August 8th. Friday afternoon has a clean 7ft swell with offshore winds. Saturday the 8th is the last big call: morning has 8ft of swell with a solid 14-second period and offshore winds from the north at 12 mph. The energy is strong (2127), and it’s clean. Afternoon is similar, just a touch smaller. This is a great way to end the run.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best on offer is Friday afternoon, July 24th – massive, clean, powerful waves for experts. The second standout is Saturday afternoon, August 1st – a clean, powerful session with a bit less size but still pumping. The glassy morning of Tuesday, August 5th is a sneaky pick for smaller, cleaner waves. For the rest of the time, it’s a waiting game with some clean windows, but those two dates are the ones to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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