Desperations Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window for Desperations, but it ain’t all smooth sailing. The biggest takeaway is we’ve got a lot of energy coming through, but the wind is gonna be the main character for most of the run. The water temp is sitting at 78°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no need to dig out the 5/4 just yet.

The first few days are a write-off. Tuesday the 18th is a mess with a strong cross-onshore breeze and 6ft of messy swell. The combined energy is high at 1754, but it’s all for nothing with that wind. Wednesday the 19th actually has some decent underlying swell hitting 8ft from the SSW, but the forecast says it’s too big for this break. The wind is still cross-shore, so it’s a no-go for us. Thursday the 20th is more of the same with poor conditions and a short-period 6ft swell that’s just lumpy.

We’ve got a real dry spell here. From Friday the 21st all the way through Saturday the 29th, the scores are low. The wind is almost always cross-shore, and the swell is either too small, too short period, or just messy. The energy drops off significantly, too, with most days sitting in the 200-1000 range. There’s a brief moment of hope on Sunday the 23rd afternoon – glassy conditions with a 4ft SSE swell – but the energy is weak (442) and the period is short (9 seconds). It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. Monday the 24th afternoon has a glassy moment but the swell is tiny at 4ft with a 7-second period.

The Standout Window

Now, if you’re patient, the real prize is on Thursday the 27th of August. That morning is the best of the entire forecast. We’ve got a 6ft SSW swell with a 16-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is a strong 1824, meaning there’s plenty of push. The wind is a light easterly, which is a clean cross-offshore breeze. The forecast calls it excellent conditions for experienced surfers. With that kind of period and direction, this reef setup will be handling it well. The downside is that Desperations can get crowds sometimes, so get out there early.

Another good session shapes up for Friday the 28th afternoon. The swell drops to 4ft from the SSW, but it’s glassy, and the energy is still moderate at 640. It’ll be clean and fun, a good option for a wider range of abilities.

Looking further out, the start of September has some promise. Monday the 31st of August morning is glassy with a 3ft SSW swell that has a very long 16-second period – expect clean, lined-up waves, but not much size. Tuesday the 1st of September morning has a clean cross-offshore breeze on a 3ft SSW swell. After that, the wind backs offshore on the 2nd, but the swell is small and short-period, so it’s a marginal call.

So, overall, the first week is a washout. Don’t bother. The clear standout is Thursday the 27th of August morning. If you can wait, that’s your day. Friday the 28th afternoon is a solid backup. After that, things get small again.

Rusty.

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