Domes (Rincon) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about the next couple of weeks down at Domes. I’ve been staring at the charts, and honestly, it’s a pretty flat and frustrating run for us. I’m not going to sugarcoat it.

Right out of the gate, we’re looking at a whole lot of nothing. From Saturday the 15th through to the end of the month, there isn't a single session that gets the heart pumping. We’re talking a long stretch of tiny, weak waves. The energy just isn't there. For the first week, the swell is barely a ripple, mostly under 2ft, and what little there is comes from the NE with short, weak periods. The wind is all over the place too, with a lot of cross-off and cross-shore breezes, but honestly, even the clean windows don’t matter when there’s no push to them. It’s frustrating, the kind of flat that has you checking the forecast again just to make sure you’re not dreaming.

Mid-week, around the 18th and 19th, it does get properly tiny. We're looking at 0.7ft to 1ft with periods around 7-10 seconds. There are some glassy mornings, like on Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th, which is nice for a swim, but don’t be fooled into paddling out. It’s just not breaking. The water temp is sitting at a warm 85°, which is about normal for this time of year, so at least the flat spells won't be cold.

The one little blip, and I mean a tiny blip, shows up on Tuesday the 25th. There’s a small pulse of NE swell that brings the height up to around 5ft. The energy jumps a bit too, with readings around 249 in the morning and 193 in the afternoon. The wind even turns offshore on the Tuesday arvo, coming in from the ESE at 19 mph. That would be perfect if there was any real power behind it. But here's the catch – the period is only 7-8 seconds. That’s short-period windswell, not the long-period groundswell we need to make Domes truly sing. It’ll be lumpy and disorganized. For a beginner, that 5ft of short-period chop is going to be a handful and not much fun. Honestly, with that wind and that messy swell, it looks more like a kitesurfing day than a paddle-surfing day.

After that, it just fades right back out. The last few days of August, from the 27th to the 30th, are back to near-flat conditions with 1ft to 2ft dribble. There are some proper glassy afternoons, like on Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th, but again, there’s just no swell to ride.

So, I know this isn't what you want to hear, but there are no standouts in this 16-day window. It’s a flat, drawn-out period. The only thing that keeps my hope up is that we do get those clean, glassy windows, and it tends not to stay this poor for long. Forecasts change, and a good swell can pop up outta nowhere. For now, keep the board in the car and maybe get some work done. This is one to sit out.

Rusty

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