Crab Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. I'm looking at the charts for Crab Island, and I've got to level with you. It's a quiet stretch. The wave energy is just not there, and the wind is often a nuisance. We're looking at a long dry spell with nothing really standing up and saying "surf me."

Right now, on Monday, July 27th, it's poor. We've got a tiny 3ft swell from the WSW, but it's a short-period, 6-second windswell. A cross-onshore wind is making it choppy and messy. The combined energy is a weak 66, so there's no power. The water is a warm 69°F, which is *much* warmer than normal for this time of year – that's a 9°F anomaly, so it's like swimming in a bath, but the waves are a no-show.

This pattern sticks through the end of July and into the start of August. The swell is tiny, between 1ft and 3ft, with periods of 5 to 6 seconds, and the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore from the west. The combined energy is stuck in the double digits – 12 to 46 – which is weak. There are a few cleaner moments, like Friday morning, July 31st, with a light cross-offshore breeze, and Saturday morning, August 1st, but the swell is just too small. It's a flat spell.

The first week of August is more of the same. Sunday, August 2nd, has a brief moment of gentle offshore wind from the NNW, but the swell is only 1ft, so it's a lake. The combined energy is a pathetic 16. We get a few cleaner days around the 5th and 6th of August, with cross-offshore winds, and even a glassy moment on the afternoon of the 6th, but the swell is a tiny 1ft. It's a beautiful, clean, flat ocean.

Then, around August 8th, the swell *does* finally show up. We see a jump to 6ft on Saturday morning, and 7ft on Saturday afternoon from the WSW, with a combined energy that jumps to 437 and 481 – that's moderate wave energy. But here's the catch: the wind is a fresh cross-onshore breeze, blowing at 19 mph, making it lumpy and choppy. The period is only 8 seconds, so it's a short-period windswell, not a clean groundswell. The conditions are poor, and honestly, with that kind of wind and chop, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. This messy, windy swell continues into Sunday, August 9th, and Monday, August 10th, before fading back to nothing by Tuesday, August 11th.

So, what's the standout? Honestly, there isn't one. Nothing in this 16-day window is worth calling a standout. The best you can hope for are the clean, glassy days around August 6th, but with zero swell. If you're desperate for a paddle and a float, the calmest days are your best bet. But for real waves? We're waiting for a better forecast. Keep your board waxed and your eyes on the horizon. These things can change.

Rusty

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