Ditch Plains Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be real about what we're looking at for the next couple of weeks at Ditch Plains. Honestly, we're in for a rough stretch. The data shows pretty much every session is scored as having "poor surf conditions" or worse. It's a long, frustrating wait with almost nothing to get excited about. We'll go day by day and see if there's a single sliver of hope.

Right now, and for the first week and a half, it's grim. The water is sitting around 66°F, which feels a bit colder than normal for this time of year, about 2°F below the average.

Let's start with this first Friday, July 3. We've got a weak 3ft swell from the SSW with a short, weak period of 5 seconds and combined energy is only 56—that's just a tiny pulse. On top of that, a fresh 19 mph SW crosswind will chop it all up. Don't bother.

Saturday July 4 and Sunday July 5 are even smaller with messy winds on and off. The rest of the first week is more of the same: small windswell (energy readings mostly below 100), short periods, and onshore or cross-shore breezes keeping things choppy.

There's a slight lift on Tuesday, July 7, with a 6ft E swell. The energy kicks up to a moderate 224, and the wind goes cross-offshore from the NNE at 19 mph, so it will be clean. But that's a short-period 6-second windswell, breaking straight and weak on the beach. It's not going to be fun, and at that size, it's getting a bit much for beginners but not offering any real quality for the experienced crew. Still gets a 0 score for poor surf conditions.

The rest of that week stays small and messy with another bump in energy on Wednesday, July 8, but again with cross-breezes.

Finally, after nine days of junk, there's the briefest glimmer on Monday morning, July 13. The wind goes glassy from the SW at just 3 mph, and there's a tiny 2ft S swell. It's the only time the wind isn't a problem, and the report calls it "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It's a 1 out of 10. For a surfer desperate for a clean, knee-high dribbler, you might get a few, but it's nothing to write home about.

Just over a week away, on Thursday morning, July 16, the swell finally picks up. We're looking at a 6ft S swell with a 9-second period, and the combined energy hits a strong 580. The wind goes cross-offshore from the W at 12 mph, promising clean waves. The report scores it a 2 out of 10 as "marginal." That is the closest thing we have to a standout in this entire 16-day window, but it's a long-range call, so treat it with caution. At 6ft, it's on the edge of being too big for beginners. The S direction is not perfect for Ditch Plains, but with clean cross-off winds, it could offer a few better-shaped, more energetic lines compared to the rest of the forecast. It's still only a marginal call, so keep expectations low.

For everything after that, the wind turns back onshore or cross-shore, and conditions drop back down to poor. It's a long, barren run, but forecasts can change. As it stands, keep your board waxed for that Thursday the 16th or wait for the next weather system. This is Rusty, signing off.

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