Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Well, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty bleak run for the Cliffs. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out stretch of nothing much to write home about. The whole 16-day window starts off with a real dud of a period. From Monday the 17th of August right through to the end of the month, the surf is tiny and the wind is a constant problem. For the first eleven days, the swell is barely a whisper, sitting at 1 ft to 2 ft, and the wind is a moderate to strong breeze from the ENE, which is cross-off at best. That means the waves are small, weak, and messy. The combined swell energy is weak, chugging along between 147 and 327 (units), which is just not enough to get excited about.

The water temp is a balmy 81°F, which is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t be cold while you’re waiting for a wave. But honestly, the first week and a half is a write-off. There’s a brief flicker on Thursday the 20th where the swell period hits 18 seconds, which is a very long period groundswell, but the height is only 2 ft. That deepwater energy might wrap in, but it’s going to be tiny and inconsistent. It’s more of a promise than a reality.

Then, things get interesting. A real standout shows up, but it’s a long way out. On Friday the 28th of August, the Cliffs (Cliffs) get a sudden spike. The swell jumps to 10 ft from the east, with a short period of 8-9 seconds. The combined energy goes through the roof, hitting 1642 to 1915 (units) – that’s proper strong to very strong wave energy. Now, here’s the catch: 10 ft is big, expert-only territory. And that short period means it’s going to be a bit lumpy and walled up. The wind is a fresh breeze from the ENE, which is cross-off again. This is a big, raw, powerful swell, but it’s not going to be clean or easy. For a beach-and-reef setup like this, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on that day. It’s a special event, but you need to be a serious charger to handle it.

After that, the surf drops back to nothing. A tiny 2 ft to 3 ft with onshore winds right through the 29th, 30th, and 31st, and into the first of September. Another long gap of flat, poor conditions.

So, the best on offer is that Friday the 28th. It’s the only day with real size and power, but it’s only for the brave. The rest of the forecast is a waiting game. Keep an eye on the forecast, because it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

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