Cathedral Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks at a classic spot: Cathedral Rock. There’s a lot of swell on the way, but the wind and conditions play games with us, so we’ve gotta be smart about when we paddle out.

The pattern starts off pretty average—nothing worth chasing on the 9th or 10th. Sunday the 9th is small and choppy despite some interest, and Monday the 10th delivers solid 7ft SW energy with a long 19-second period—that’s proper groundswell pushing through, moderate energy (3140). But the wind is tricky. Monday morning is clean with a light cross-off, but the afternoon gets ruined by a cross-onshore. So, Monday morning is the pick, but only just.

Then things kick up. Wednesday the 12th afternoon, we start to see the ramp: 13ft SW groundswell, 17 seconds, massive energy (13690), and clean with a gentle cross-off. That’s high-grade dirt for experienced crews. Thursday the 13th morning is the undeniable standout—13ft WSW swell, 15-second period, offshore-friendly NW wind, glassy texture, and incredible energy (11538). This is the best session of the window. Cathedral Rock really hums on a long-period SW to WSW, and this one lines up perfectly with its optimum. The water is a mild 57°F, about normal for August, so no shock on the skin.

Come Friday the 14th morning, still 13ft and clean with a light offshore, but the energy drops slightly (7633). Still excellent for experts. But by Saturday the 15th, it’s fading and the wind turns onshore, making things sloppy.

We get a bit of a lull mid-week, but the 16th Sunday morning offers a glassy 7ft SW groundswell (14 seconds) with no wind. Clean and fun for the intermediate crowd—definitely worth a look if the big stuff was too gnarly.

The second week settles. The 18th Tuesday morning is a hidden gem: 6ft SW, 15 seconds, glassy again, with good energy (1273). Smooth and clean. The 19th Wednesday morning has 6ft SW (16-second period) with a light cross-off, and the swell direction matches the optimum—clean again. Not as much juice as the first week, but quality over quantity.

By the 20th Thursday, it drops back to 4ft and weakens. From the 21st to the 24th, it’s mostly small, with strong southerly winds and messy onshore conditions ruining any chance. The 23rd is particularly ugly with 8ft to 8ft SSW swell but howling 19-22 mph onshore winds—that’s kite territory, not a surf session. You’d be dodging blown-out whitewater.

So the call is clear: the absolute standout is Thursday morning the 13th of August at Cathedral Rock. That 13ft WSW groundswell with clean offshore wind is as good as it gets. If you’re not an expert, aim for Sunday morning the 16th for a much more manageable 7ft on flat, glassy conditions. The rest is a mix of promising but tricky windows and a lot of onshore slop. Make your moves, pick your mornings.

Rusty.

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