Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, we’re looking at a pretty quiet start for the Cliffs. This is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the south, and for the first week or so the swell just isn’t doing much. The wind is a persistent cross-off from the ENE, sometimes strong, so the surf stays clean but small. The first few days from Saturday the 18th, through the middle of the week, are offering tiny waves around 1ft to 3ft, with periods mostly between 13 and 16 seconds, but the combined energy is weak to moderate—you’ll see values like 196 to 413 (moderate). The water temperature is 27°, which is about average for the time of year, no big anomaly there. Honestly, it’s just poor surf conditions with a few marginal windows. Not worth paddling out unless you’re desperate.

From Monday the 21st to Thursday the 24th, the swell picks up only slightly, but the wave comment stays “poor” or “marginal.” The combined energy climbs into the 400s to 700s, but the waves are still under 3ft. Not exactly lighting it up.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The real standout appears around the weekend of the 26th and 27th of July. Saturday morning the 26th, we see a jump to 5ft from the east, period 17 seconds, and the combined energy screams up to 1619 (strong). Wind is still a cross-off but lighter, moderate breeze. That’s the first real pulse of the outlook. Sunday the 27th builds even more—6ft in the morning, 7ft in the afternoon, period 16 seconds, energy over 2000 (very strong). This is proper groundswell, long period, and it’s coming from the east, which matches the optimum direction for Cliffs. This is a big, powerful swell, but it’s a beach and reef break, so with that long period it might wall up and wrap in nicely. The wind is cross-off, which keeps it clean. This is the best on offer, but with waves over 5ft, it’s pushing into intermediate territory, and by 7ft it’s getting serious. Beginners should sit this one out.

Monday the 28th holds similar size, 7ft in the morning, 7ft in the afternoon, though the period drops to 13-14 seconds, and there’s a chance of rain showers. Still, the energy is strong (1902, 1547). This is a solid window for experienced surfers who know the break.

After that, the swell tanks again. By Wednesday the 29th, we’re back to 2ft from the SSW, and the rest of the outlook through to August 2nd is tiny again, with combined energy dropping to two-digit values—weak. The wind stays cross-off, but there’s just no push.

So, the one true standout is the weekend of July 26th and 27th, with that east swell pumping in at 5ft to 7ft, long period, clean conditions. Later in that run, the 28th is also solid but with a bit less period. The rest of the 16 days? Mostly a washout. If you’ve got a kite, the first week and the last week could be fun for that, but for a paddle surfer, it’s all about that late July blast.

Stay stoked,
Rusty

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