Cunns Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. I’m lookin’ at the only game in town for this 16-day stretch: Cunns, a reef setup that’s exposed to the SW and needs a specific wind to really shine. The water’s sittin’ at 61°F right now, which is about normal for this time of year, nothin’ to write home about.

The first few days are a write-off, honestly. We’ve got a bit of swell around, but the wind is just killin’ it. Sunday the 19th has a tiny 1ft to 3ft SW swell, but it’s cross-shore and cross-on, choppy as hell. The combined energy is weak at 238 to 455, and it’s labelled as poor surf. Same story Monday the 20th – a bit more size, 4ft to 4ft from the SW, but still cross-on and choppy. The energy is pickin’ up to 575 (moderate), but the wind’s just not givin’ us a break. Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd are more of the same: messy, choppy, and not worth paddlin’ out. The energy does get up to 746 on Wednesday afternoon, but it’s cross-shore and lumpy.

Then we get a glimmer. Thursday the 23rd morning sees a 7ft SW swell, with a 14-second period and a cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is cranked up to 1709 (strong), and the conditions are clean. That’s a solid look for advanced surfers, but it’s still pretty big. The afternoon holds at 7ft with a 16-second period and clean conditions – energy is 1929. This is the first real standout. That long period (over 15 seconds) means it’s a groundswell, and at a reef break like Cunns, that’s gonna produce some proper, lined-up waves. Paddlin’ out could be a bit easier between sets, too.

But the absolute best of the whole forecast is Friday the 24th. The morning delivers 5ft of SW swell, 14-second period, and *glassy* conditions. The energy is 1077 (strong) and the wave comment says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. This is the one. A clean, glassy morning at a reef break with a solid SW groundswell – that’s as good as it gets. The wind is dead calm. This is the top pick. The afternoon gets a bit more cross-shore and drops in quality.

After that, it fades. Saturday the 25th through the end of the month is a slow decline. The wind swings back to cross-on and choppy, the swell drops to 4ft or less, and the energy falls back to weak or moderate. There’s a stretch from the 26th of July right through to the 31st where it’s just poor surf, day after day. The only break in that is a marginal session on Monday the 27th afternoon with a tiny 2ft swell but a 16-second period – clean, but tiny.

Then we hit August. The 1st of August morning is a mess with 28 mph cross-on wind and a 4ft swell – just a disaster. But the afternoon of the 1st pumps up to 8ft from the WSW with a 18-second period. The energy is massive at 3536 (very strong), but the wind is a fresh cross-on, lumpy and messy. That’s a lot of power, but it’s blown out. The 2nd and 3rd see more big swell – 10ft on the 3rd morning with 18-second period, energy 5529 – but it’s all cross-on or onshore wind. That’s big, angry, and messy. For experts only, and even then, it’s not clean.

So, to wrap it up: Thursday the 23rd is good, Friday the 24th morning is the standout – glassy, clean, solid SW groundswell at a reef. Grab it, because after that, it’s a long stretch of choppy, blown-out days until we get some big, messy power in early August that’s more for the adrenaline junkies than a smooth session. Cunns is inconsistent, so this window is worth the wait.

Rusty.

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