Dolphinarium Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and scrappy for this stretch of coast. There’s no proper swell on the horizon, just a lot of small, short-period wind slop that's gonna have a hard time doing anything interesting. We’re looking at a long stretch of marginal days, so keep your expectations low and your patience high.

The one spot we’re watching is Dolphinarium. It’s a beginner-friendly break, fairly consistent, but it’s a bit of a fair-weather friend. The water temp is sitting at 85°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be cold while you’re waiting for something that never comes.

The whole window is plagued by weak, short-period swell from the WNW, with a lot of cross-onshore and onshore winds messing up the surface. The first few days through the 4th and into the 5th are pretty much a write-off. The swell is tiny, around 2ft, and the wind is mostly onshore, so it’s going to be a mess. The combined energy is weak, only hitting 22 to 26 (22-26), which tells you there’s nothing in the water.

There’s a slight glimmer on the morning of the 6th, with a light cross-offshore wind and a clean surface, but the waves are still just 2ft and that short 6-second period isn't going to give you anything with any push. The energy is still very weak at 25 (25). It’s a “maybe get a funky one if you’re desperate” kind of morning.

The 7th and 8th see the swell nudge up a touch, but it’s still small and the afternoons are getting chopped up by the onshore breeze. The morning of the 9th is the first time we get a “surfable” rating, but that’s a low bar. The swell is 3ft, period is still a short 6 seconds, and the energy is only moderate at 51 (51). The morning wind is light and cross-offshore, so it might be clean, but it’s going to be weak and fat. The afternoons are all blown out again.

Then we hit a real lull. The 10th and 11th drop back down to 2ft, and the energy is barely registering at 17-23 (17-23). It’s not worth getting wet. The 12th starts with a glassy morning, but the swell is still only 2ft, and the period is a slightly better 8 seconds, but it's still not enough to get excited about. The energy is weak at 45 (45).

The second week is more of the same. The 13th and 14th have a bit more size, up to 3ft, but with that 7-second period and more onshore wind, it's just lumpy and unappealing. The 18th morning is another borderline day, with 3ft swell and a light cross-offshore wind, but the long-range call is just a promise, not a guarantee. The energy is moderate at 66 (66), but it’s a short-period swell, so it won’t have any punch.

Honestly, the best this run has to offer is a few clean, small, and weak mornings. The standout would be the morning of the 9th, with a clean surface and a little bit of swell, and maybe the 18th if you’re looking that far ahead. But even those are just knee to ankle-high dribbles. The swell direction is from the WNW, which is okay for this spot, but it’s just not doing anything.

For the majority of the time, the wind is messing things up. The swell is too small to be any fun, and the period is too short to give any real power. It’s a lot of paddling for nothing. If you’re a beginner, you might get some practice in on those clean mornings, but you won’t be catching anything worth writing home about. If you’re a seasoned surfer, don’t bother. This setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer wanting to mess around in the chop than for anyone with a surfboard.

There are a few days with a gap of almost a week where there’s just nothing on offer. The long-range stuff for the 18th is a promise, but it's a long way out and these types of forecasts can change. Don’t hold your breath.

Stay patient. It tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change. But for now, find something else to do.

Rusty.

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