Desperations Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s in store for Desperations.

First thing you need to know, the water is sitting at 78°, which is bang on average for this time of year – nothing unusual there, just normal.

Right now, and for the first few days, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a solid 3ft SSW swell coming in on Tuesday afternoon, but with a 22 mph cross-shore wind, it’s a messy, lumpy chop. No good. Wednesday and Thursday are the same story – wind is spoiling anything that’s trying to break. The swell energy is weak to moderate (385–659), but the wind is just too strong and cross. Don’t bother paddling out.

The first real sign of life comes Friday morning, July 17th. The swell drops a touch to 4ft from the SSW, but here’s the thing – the wind swings east at 9 mph, going cross-offshore, and the period jumps to 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell with good energy (1270). The waves will be clean, well-shaped, and better for experienced surfers. That Friday afternoon? Glassy. Zero wind. The swell holds at 4ft, 15 seconds, and the energy is still strong (762). That’s the standout – a beautiful, clean session.

Saturday the 18th has a bit of lumpiness in the morning, but by the afternoon the wind goes light and cross-off, and the swell is still 3ft at 16 seconds (713). It’s a good option, but not the peak.

Now, Sunday morning, July 19th – that’s another standout. Glassy conditions, 4ft SSW swell, 17-second period, and the energy is pumping at 1400. This is excellent surf, but it’s for experienced surfers. The water is clean, the sets will have some power, and the gaps between them will make paddling out easier. The wind is barely a breath at 3 mph.

Monday the 20th keeps the run going. Morning is clean with a 4ft SSW swell, 20-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell, and the energy is massive at 1807. This is a point break or reef setup kind of day, because that long period can make beach breaks a bit too straight. Still, it’s clean and excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon sees a fresh 19 mph offshore wind from the north-northeast, which keeps it clean but makes paddling a bit harder.

Tuesday the 21st has offshore winds again, but the morning is blowing 25 mph, which is strong and clean but hard to paddle into. The afternoon softens to 9 mph offshore, and the swell is 4ft at 16 seconds (811) – good, but not as good as Friday or Sunday.

After that, the quality drops. Wednesday the 22nd is okay in the morning (clean, 3ft, 14 seconds), but then it goes downhill. From Thursday the 23rd through to the end of the month, the wind is mostly cross or onshore, and the swell gets messy. There’s a brief spike on Friday the 24th with 6ft WSW swell, but it’s short period (8 seconds) and onshore – not worth it. The last few days of July and into the 29th see strengthening cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions, with some moderate energy (up to 2291) but poor quality.

To sum it up: the best windows are Friday morning, July 17th, and Sunday morning, July 19th. Both are glassy or clean, with solid groundswells and good energy. Desperations is a reef break, so it’ll handle those long periods well. Crowds are possible, so get there early if you can.

Rusty.

Read more