Cathedral Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s brewing for the next couple of weeks at Cathedral Rock. The setup is a classic point break, so we're looking for those long, wrapping lines. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird to report.

The wave energy kicks off this Saturday, July 18, and it’s promising. We’ve got a solid SW groundswell in the water, with a combined energy reading of 1280 (moderate energy). The morning sees a 6ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off shore from the WNW at 3 mph. That’s clean, lined-up surf, perfect for an intermediate or anyone looking to get a few good ones. The afternoon lightens up but goes a bit cross, losing some of that morning magic.

Sunday the 19th is a smaller day. The swell drops to 3ft from the WSW, but the period stretches to 13 seconds, so there’s still some push. The wind goes glassy in the afternoon (NNW at 3 mph), making for a beautiful, clean surface. It’s a paddle-out day for the longboard or a fun mid-length.

Monday the 20th is a bit of a standout. That swell builds back to 4ft, but the period jumps to 16 seconds - that’s very long-period groundswell. The wind stays clean, cross-off from the NW. Because this is a point break, those long lines will wrap in beautifully, giving you some proper, walled-up rides. The energy is moderate (721). This is the best bet early in the week.

Tuesday the 21st is another good one. The swell is up to 6ft from the WSW with a 14-second period, and the wind is still light cross-off. The wave energy is solid (1005 in the morning). Conditions are very good for the experienced intermediate crowd.

Now, from Wednesday the 22nd, things get a bit wobbly. The swell is still around, but the wind shifts and we get some cross-shore chop and light rain. It’s not terrible, but it’s not the clean glass we had.

Things take a serious turn for the big-wave hunters. Thursday the 23rd through Tuesday the 28th of July, the swell pulses up. On Thursday the 23rd, we’re looking at a 10ft SW swell, but the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy. By Friday the 24th, the swell is 10ft to 12ft, and the wind is back to clean, cross-off. The energy is massive (5828 to 7791). This is expert-only territory. The 12ft afternoon swell on Friday the 24th is exceptional, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

The biggest day in the whole run looks to be Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning shows a 12ft SW swell with a 16-second period and a combined energy of 12083 (very strong). That’s a serious amount of water moving around. The wind is clean cross-off. This is a day for the experienced crew only, and it’s a week and a half out, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

The end of July and into August sees the swell staying big (13ft to 16ft), but the wind goes onshore, making it a choppy mess. The morning of July 31st is a last gasp of clean, big surf (13ft, cross-off wind) before the wind turns ugly for the first weekend of August. Those first few days of August look poor, with onshore wind and chop.

So, the standout here is Monday the 20th for the classic, long-period, clean point break conditions. The second standout, for the big-wave experts, is Friday the 24th of July, or the really heavy Tuesday the 28th of July, but that one is a long way out, so don't book your flights yet.

Rusty, signing off.

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