Circoletto (Rome) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – it’s a quiet one for the Rome area. We’ve got a 16-day window ahead, but honestly, it’s a long stretch of nothing special. The first few days are a total write-off, with barely a ripple to speak of. From the 20th of July right through to the 25th, we’re looking at flat to near-flat conditions, with tiny dribbles of 0.3ft to 2ft, and the odd bit of wind messing up what little is there. That’s a solid six days of sitting on the beach.

The first real movement comes on the 26th of July. Out of nowhere, we get a pulse of southerly swell pushing in, with heights building to 6ft by the morning and 8ft in the afternoon. The combined energy jumps right up to a strong 260 (moderate wave energy) in the morning, then 654 (strong wave energy) in the arvo. But here’s the kicker – the wind is hammering from the southeast at 25 mph, creating a strong cross-shore and cross-onshore mess. The waves are there, but the quality is rubbish. It’s a choppy, windy circus. For a spot like Circoletto (Rome), a beach and reef setup, this is more of a kite-surfing session than a paddle-surfing one. The swell is coming from the S, which is a long way off the optimum SSW direction, and the period is a short 6-7 seconds, so the energy is all over the place.

The next day, the 27th, the swell shifts to the west, still running 7ft to 8ft, with strong energy (673-698). But again, the wind is a problem – a moderate to fresh cross-onshore from the W and WSW. It’s lumpy and tough. The period is still short at 7-8 seconds. This is still expert territory with the size over 8ft on the 26th arvo, and the 27th is pushing 8ft, so it’s not for the faint-hearted.

After that, it drops off a cliff. Tuesday the 28th of July starts with a little improvement – 3ft from the west, and a light easterly cross-offshore breeze. That’s the cleanest we’ll see it, but the wave energy is weak (74) and the period is short (6 seconds). It’s just a very ordinary, surfable wave. Not a standout. Then it’s back to tiny, poor conditions for the rest of the run into early August.

The next best-ish window is the morning of Friday the 31st of July, with a tiny 2ft from the NW and a light cross breeze, but it’s a weak, short-period wave (4 seconds, combined energy 18). Not worth getting excited about.

The best on offer, if you can call it that, is the Tuesday the 28th of July morning session. The swell is 3ft from the west, which is close to the optimum SSW direction, and the light cross-offshore breeze from the east will keep it clean. The combined energy is weak at 74, so it’s not powerful, but it’s the only time the stars kind of align for a paddle. Crowds are often a problem here, so you might have company. For a spot that’s inconsistent, this is a rare and fleeting chance to get a few clean ones in.

Other than that, it’s a long wait for the middle of the first week of August. The morning of the 4th of August has a tiny 1.0ft from the WSW with a clean cross-offshore breeze, but it’s practically flat. The water temperature is a very unusual 83°F at the start, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least the wait will be comfortable.

Rusty.

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