Desperations Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's coming down the pike for the next couple of weeks. It's a mixed bag, so pay attention.

First off, the water temp is sittin’ at 78° right now, which is right about average for this time of year. No weird anomalies, just the usual.

The pattern starts off a little inconsistent. The first real chance to get wet is Friday afternoon, July 17th, at Desperations. There’s a clean 4ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period. The combined energy is moderate (704), not huge, but with a light cross-off breeze from the east at 6 mph, it’ll be looking tidy. It’s a reef break, exposed to the swell, and it’s fairly consistent, though you might have to share with a few folks as crowds are possible.

Saturday the 18th is a split day. The morning brings a lumpy 6ft SE windswell with a short 8-second period and a cross breeze – a real mess. The afternoon, though, cleans right up. We're looking at a glassy 3ft SSW groundswell (16 seconds) with a light cross-off from the NNW. Energy is moderate (689). Small, but the quality will be there. Good for a fun session on a smaller board.

Now, pay attention here, because Monday, July 20th, is your true standout. Both morning and afternoon are dead glassy – not a breath of wind. We've got a solid 6ft SSW groundswell with a very long 20-second period in the morning, dropping to 18 seconds in the afternoon. The combined energy is strong to very strong (2756 and 2507), so there’s real power in the water. This is for experienced surfers only. Excellent conditions, but that size and that long period will make it heavy and challenging. At Desperations, a reef, it'll be well-shaped and powerful. The long period means bigger lulls between sets, making the paddle out a bit easier, but when the sets come, they'll be demanding. If you're not confident in that size, sit this one out.

Tuesday the 21st still has some decent leftovers. The morning is a little crossed-up with a light breeze from the ESE, but the afternoon cleans up with a 5ft SSW groundswell (16 seconds) and a light cross-off from the north. Energy is strong (1544). Solid, but not the gem that Monday is.

Then we hit the skunk zone. From Wednesday, July 22nd, all the way through Sunday, July 26th, it’s pretty much a blank. Onshore winds – strong and howling from the south and southeast – are going to trash the surface. Swell drops off fast, and conditions are poor to downright terrible. The winds hit 25 mph at one point. That’s a solid 5-day gap of no-go surf. At a reef like this with that wind and chop, it’d look more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

Things start to look up again on Monday, July 27th. The morning session brings back some real quality: a clean 4ft SSW groundswell with a long 17-second period, light cross-off from the east at 6 mph, and a strong 1212 combined energy. Excellent conditions are back. The afternoon goes onshore, but the morning is the window to aim for.

The final week of July into August is a bit of a teaser. The 28th and 29th have moderate, rideable swell but with cross or cross-on breezes that’ll put a bit of chop on the face. Thursday, July 30th morning is glassy with a small 3ft SSW swell – a clean, small day out. Thursday afternoon and Friday, July 31st mornings have offshore winds, but the swell is tiny, with energy dropping into the weak range (330-377). It’s clean, but you’ll be hunting for the little ones. The final run into the start of August gets blown out again.

So to put it straight: your absolute best bet is Monday, July 20th. Glassy conditions, a strong, long-period SSW groundswell at 6ft, and that reef at Desperations will be holding beautifully. Get on it if you’re experienced enough. The Monday after that, July 27th morning, is your next best, but it’s not as strong. The rest is either small and clean, or just messy. You gotta be patient.

Rusty.

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