Domes (Rincon) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, pull up a log and let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks.

Bottom line up front: it’s gonna be a slow grind for a while. The ocean’s just taking a breather out here at Domes. There's a whole lot of nothing for the next ten days or so. But don’t toss the board in the garage just yet – there’s a little pulse of energy trying to show up late in the game, around the 22nd and 23rd. It’s nothing epic, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

Right now, through the middle of the month, we’re staring at tiny, weak surf. We’re talking ankle-biters and knee-slappers, with the swell energy mostly under 50 units. The water’s warm though, a touch warmer than average for this time of year, coming in at 86°. That’s a hint of what’s in store – it’s still summer-time water temps even as the calendar tries to turn.

This coming Wednesday afternoon the 9th, there’s a little blip of northerly energy, but it’s a stormy afternoon with some cross-off wind and just a hint of a wave. Not worth paddling out for. The next few days are more of the same – some glassy mornings, like Thursday the 10th, but the swell is gutless, coming in at 2ft with a short, weak 6-second period. The wind is calm and it’ll look pretty, but that’s about it. You’ll get more exercise paddling than surfing.

The weekend rolls in with a bit more cross-shore wind. Saturday the 12th gets a little bumpy, and the swell drops off to nothing. Sunday is clean but still flat, just a couple of small cross-off pulses and a lot of waiting. The risk of thunderstorms is there in the afternoons, a typical tropical setup. The water stays warm, but the energy just isn’t there. It’s a long, flat stretch, I won't lie to you. We’re talking a solid week or more of this small stuff, a real test of patience.

Then, around the 17th and 18th, we start seeing slightly longer periods – up to 13 seconds – but no real height behind it. Still just 0.7ft of swell. It’s the kind of thing that might wrap in and give you a couple of clean little walls if you’re desperate and the wind is glassy, which it is on the morning of the 18th. But honestly, you’d be surfing for the peace and quiet more than the waves. That trend holds through the 20th and 21st. Still small, but clean.

Now, here’s the one bright spot in the whole forecast. Around Tuesday the 22nd, things finally start to wake up. We see an increase in the swell, getting up to 2ft and 3ft, with the energy jumping into the triple digits – 117 units on Tuesday morning, and then 167 by the afternoon. The period is a more respectable 10-11 seconds, and the wind is in a cross-off direction, keeping the face reasonably clean. It’s still not a big day, but it’s the best we’ve got. The swell direction is from the north, which is not quite the optimum NNW Domes likes to see, but it should still wrap in here.

Wednesday the 23rd looks similar, with the morning seeing a bit more wind at 15 mph but still cross-off, and the swell holding at 3ft with 186 units of energy. The afternoon cleans up nicely with a lighter breeze and waves at 3ft. It's going to be small and contesty, but it's rideable. Don't get too excited, though. It’s still small enough for groms and beginners, and won’t have any real push to it. By the 24th, the swell starts to fade again and the southerly wind picks up, so that window on the 22nd and 23rd is definitely the pick of the litter.

So, there you have it. A whole lot of waiting, then a couple of fun days if you get lucky. Keep the expectations low and the wax fresh.

Rusty.

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