Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu.

Honestly, it’s a pretty flat and frustrating stretch ahead for the next week and a half at Cliffs. This is a beach and reef setup that’s exposed to the south, and the swell just isn’t getting its act together. The wind is mostly a strong cross-off from the ENE, which keeps the surface clean, but the waves are tiny and weak. You’re looking at wave heights between 1ft and 3ft for the first week and a half, with period mostly in the 12 to 18 second range, but the combined energy is low to moderate — between 115 and 602 (weak to moderate). The vast majority of the days are marked as poor surf conditions, so there’s not much to get excited about. There’s a gap of no real surf worth mentioning from now until around the 20th of July.

The only blip of promise comes on Monday the 20th of July, and into Tuesday the 21st. The swell picks up from the east, with heights hitting 4ft to 4ft, and a period of 16 to 17 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, and the combined energy jumps to 1108 and 1388 (strong energy). The wind stays cross-off from the ENE at 19-22 mph, so the surface will be clean. But listen — this is a beach and reef spot, and a long period east swell can be a bit wonky, breaking too straight and fast. It’s better suited to a point or reef, but if you’re a local who knows where the sandbanks are, it could offer a few proper waves. That said, the forecast scores are still marginal, so don’t go cancelling your plans just yet. This is a promising but uncertain prospect. The crowds are sometimes a factor here, so you might have some company if it fires.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual to report.

For the rest of the window after the 21st, it drops back into the doldrums with tiny southerly swell and poor conditions. A long blank run, but that’s normal for this area when the swell windows don’t line up.

Rusty.

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