Crystals Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s be straight with you – the outlook for Crystals over the next couple of weeks is pretty bleak. We’re looking at a long stretch of barely anything worth paddling out for, especially through the first week and into the second. The good news? There’s one little window that could save the whole run, but you’ll need patience.

Right now, starting from Friday the 7th of August, it’s all tiny, weak surf. Swell is barely pushing 1 ft from the southeast with a short period, and the combined energy is a paltry (23). The wind is a cross-offshore, but the waves just aren’t there. Saturday and Sunday are more of the same – small, weak, and uninspiring. The water temp is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s the only thing that’s slightly out of the ordinary.

The whole first week is a write-off. We’ve got days of 0.3 ft to 1.0 ft surf, mostly with cross-off or glassy conditions, but with combined energy barely cracking double digits. Even the glassy mornings on the 12th and 13th, with no wind, are wasted on tiny, weak waves. It’s frustrating.

As we roll into the second week, things don’t improve much. The 16th and 17th bring a little bump in height – up to 3 ft – but it’s short-period, onshore junk from the northeast. That’s not surf, that’s a washing machine. Not worth your time unless you’re a kite surfer, because the setup looks more interesting for that than paddle surfing.

Now, here’s the one standout. On the morning of Tuesday the 18th of August, we get a tiny glimmer. It’s still small, only 2 ft, but the swell comes from the southeast with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to a moderate (55). The wind is glassy, dead calm. The waves will be clean and surfable, but it’s very ordinary – just a session for the die-hards who need a fix. It’s not a classic by any means.

Then, the real highlight – and the only one I’d get excited about – is on the morning of Thursday the 20th of August. The swell is still only 3 ft from the southeast, but the period is 8 seconds and the combined energy pushes into moderate territory at (111). We’ve got a gentle offshore wind from the west-southwest. That offshore breeze will keep things clean. It’s not big, but it’s the best we’re going to get in this stretch. For the more experienced crew, don’t expect a barrel; for the beginners, the size is manageable. The crowds at Crystals are “sometimes” an issue, so on a morning like this, you might have a few others with the same idea, but it’s worth the gamble.

After that, the forecast trails off again into small, weak, and onshore slop through the 21st and 22nd.

So, to sum it up: the next two weeks are mostly a bust. The only days worth circling are the 18th for a glassy, small session, and especially the morning of the 20th for the best chance at a clean, rideable wave. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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