Diamond Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for this little patch we call Diamond Beach. The next 16 days are a mixed bag, and I've got to be straight with you—there's a lot of waiting around involved.

The first real chance of anything surfable doesn't show up until Saturday, the 22nd of August. Before that, we're looking at a solid stretch of nothing. From now until late August, the swell is tiny, period is short, and the energy is just pathetic. Early on, we get a few glassy mornings on the 10th and 13th, but with waves barely 1 ft, it's barely a ripple. A couple of days in the middle of the week have a bit more wind, but it's still on the small side and messy. Honestly, a lot of that time the water is flat and clean, but there's no power behind it. The water temp is sitting at a nice 76°, which is about normal for this time of year, so at least it's warm for the flat spells.

Everything changes around the 19th of August. A solid pulse of swell rolls in, but it’s a bit of a beast. Wednesday morning the 19th, we see the swell jump to 6 ft from the SE, but the wind is howling from the SSW at 16 mph, creating a cross-chop. The energy reading is moderate at 182. That afternoon, it gets even bigger, hitting 8 ft from the SE, but the wind is onshore and choppy. The combined energy jumps to a very strong 999. That’s expert territory only, and with the wind and rain, it’s not a pretty picture. The 20th is still large, with waves around 6 ft from the E, but the wind is onshore again, making it a messy, powerful ocean. The energy is strong at 503. This whole setup is more interesting for kite surfing than for a paddle surfer looking for a clean ride.

The standout window, and the only one I'd paddle out for, arrives on Friday, the 21st of August. The swell drops to a more manageable 3 ft from the E, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is light from the S at 6 mph, only a light cross-onshore, and the energy is a moderate 174. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ll see. Saturday the 22nd of August morning is also a treat—the swell is tiny at 2 ft, but the wind goes offshore from the NW at 12 mph. The waves will be clean, but very small. The afternoon of the 22nd is the only time the forecast calls it "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," with a 1 out of 10 score. It’s a 1 ft swell from the SSE with a 9-second period and offshore wind. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only window that’s not completely written off.

So, to sum it up: if you’re an expert, you might want to look at the big, messy swell on the 19th and 20th, but be prepared for a battle. For the rest of us, the best bet is the small, clean-ish window on Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd. Don't go expecting a world-class session. The crowds are listed as "sometimes," so it might be a quiet one, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Keep your eyes on the sky, and check the forecast again close to the date. This is a long-range call, so it's a bit of a gamble. I'm Rusty, signing off.

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