Cathedral Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Cathedral Rock.

We’ve got a fairly solid run of surf ahead, but it’s a mixed bag of conditions. The water’s sitting at about 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The first real chance to get in the water kicks off Monday morning, August 3rd. We’re looking at a 6-foot SW swell with a 14-second period, and it’s a cross-off breeze from the WNW. The wave energy is moderate (1718), but the overall forecast is marginal, so don’t expect perfection. Monday afternoon is similar, just a bit bigger at 7 feet from the WSW.

Tuesday the 4th sees a bump up to 8 feet, but the wind swings onshore and the period drops, making it a choppy mess. Not the day for it.

Wednesday the 5th is a bit of a tease. A clean 6-foot SW groundswell (14 seconds) in the morning with light cross winds, but the score is still marginal. Still, a light cross-shore is better than nothing.

Now, let’s talk standouts. The first real highlight is Friday morning, August 7th. We’ve got a 6-foot SW groundswell at 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell – with a light NW breeze blowing cross-offshore. The wave energy is solid (1982) and the conditions are clean. This is a good one for experienced surfers. The crowds can show up sometimes, so keep that in mind.

Saturday the 8th is another beauty. A 7-foot SW swell, 16 seconds, with a solid NNW offshore wind. Clean, moderate offshore conditions. The morning session is the pick.

Now, hold onto your board. Monday, August 10th is where things get serious. The morning shows a massive 21-foot WSW swell, but the file says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. The combined energy is an enormous 33419. That’s for absolute experts only, and even then, it’s a question mark. The afternoon drops to 13 feet SW, still huge, but the wind is light and clean. This is an exceptional swell for expert surfers only.

The following week keeps the energy up. Tuesday the 11th brings an 8 to 10-foot SW groundswell, and the afternoon session on the 11th has a 19-second period, which is very long. That’s a lot of water moving, so it’ll be a challenge at a point break, but the energy is there.

The next true standout is Thursday, August 13th. The afternoon session is exceptional. A 13-foot WSW swell, 17-second period, with light WNW cross-offshore winds. The combined energy is a massive 16407, and the conditions are clean. This is pure, raw power for the experienced crew.

The final stretch sees a glassy morning on Tuesday, August 18th. A 8-foot SW groundswell (17 seconds) with no wind. That’s a rare, clean window, but winds shift onshore later.

Overall, there’s a lot of swell, but a lot of it is big and needs the right wind and tide. The best bets are Friday the 7th, Saturday the 8th, and that enormous Thursday the 13th afternoon for the experts. Don’t sleep on the glassy morning of the 18th either.

Rusty.

Read more