Cathedral Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks at Cathedral Rock. We’ve got a classic point break setup that loves a good SSW swell, and this outlook has a fair bit of action, though we’ve got to wade through some rough stuff to find the gems.

The water temp is sittin’ at 57° right now, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing crazy to report there.

The first week kicks off on Monday the 27th of July with some chest-high 5 ft swell from the SW, period at 11 seconds. The wind is cross-off from the NW at 9 mph, which keeps it clean, but the combined energy is only moderate (722). Honestly, it’s a bit underwhelming. Tuesday the 28th sees a bump in size to 6 ft and then 8 ft, with the period stretching out to 13 and 15 seconds, giving us a proper groundswell. The energy jumps into the strong range (1555 to 2605), but the wind is still cross-off from the NNW at 16 mph. It’s clean, but these bigger swells at a point break are gonna be mean, not really a beginner wave.

Then we hit a wall on Wednesday the 29th. A massive 15 ft swell rolls in, but with a SW 16 mph cross-on wind, the ocean is a complete mess. The energy is astronomical (11009 to 15589), but the conditions are poor and choppy. That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddling. Thursday the 30th is still messy with a dropping 8 ft swell and onshore winds, just not worth it.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Friday the 31st of July morning, we get a 6 ft SW swell with a 12-second period, and the wind goes glassy at 3 mph from the WNW. That’s a standout window. Clean waves, moderate energy (964), and the point will be peeling nicely. Saturday the 1st of August is even better. Morning is clean with a N offshore at 6 mph on a 5 ft swell, but the real standout is Saturday afternoon. The swell jumps to 8 ft from the SW with a very long 17-second period, and the wind goes offshore from the NNW at 3 mph. The energy is strong (2811), and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a serious session for the crew who know what they’re doing. Sunday the 2nd keeps the fun going with offshore NNW winds at 12-16 mph and 7-7 ft SW groundswell at 16 seconds. Clean and powerful.

The middle of the week (Monday 3rd to Tuesday 4th) turns ugly again with cross-on winds from the SW and SSW, ruining the 6-8 ft swell. Not worth a paddle. Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th are a write-off too, with cross-on and cross-shore winds keeping things choppy, even though there’s a deep 19-second period swell hiding in there. The energy is still moderate to strong (1578 to 1518), but the wind kills it.

Friday the 7th of August is a bright spot. A clean 6 ft SW swell with a 16-second period and a cross-off breeze from the ENE at 9 mph. Excellent conditions for experienced surfers again.

The second week looks promising overall. Saturday the 8th kicks off with a glassy morning on a 5 ft SW swell (14 seconds), and the afternoon goes offshore with a 4 ft, 17-second groundswell. Clean and inviting. Sunday the 9th has a solid offshore from the N at 12 mph, pushing into 6 ft SW swell. Good. Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are the real highlights of the second week. Monday brings 7-7 ft SW swell from the N at 16 mph offshore, strong energy (2320), and clean conditions. Tuesday the 11th keeps that energy going with 7 ft SW swell and a clean cross-off breeze from the WNW at 6 mph. Both days are excellent for experienced surfers. The vibe fades a bit by Tuesday afternoon, but overall, the second week has more consistent, ridable surf than the first.

Bottom line: The standout session is Saturday afternoon, 1st of August at Cathedral Rock with a 8 ft SW groundswell at 17 seconds and glassy offshore wind. In the second week, Monday the 10th is another top pick with 7 ft SW swell and solid offshore wind. Just remember, this is a point break that handles these longer period swells well, but when it gets over 8 ft, it’s for experts only.

Rusty.

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