Downtowns Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, checking in.

Alright, let’s be real. The first week or so is pretty average. We’ve got a solid run of swell coming through, but the wind is a bit of a hassle, and the waves aren't really locking in for that top-tier session. We're looking at a gap of a few days where the surf is just okay, not worth getting too excited about. The water's sitting at a warm 81°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick off on Wednesday, July 22nd, at Downtowns. It's a reef break, fairly consistent, and it’s exposed to the SW swell. The swell is coming in at 4ft from the SSW with a 13-second period, giving us a moderate wave energy of 676. The wind is a cross-off from the SE at 12 mph, which will keep it clean, but the forecast is calling it marginal. Thursday and Friday are more of the same, with similar swell and winds, the surf is there but nothing to write home about.

Saturday, July 25th, starts to show a little more promise. The morning has a clean 4ft from the SSW, with a 15-second period, and the energy jumps to 1191. The wind is a light breeze from the SE, so it’s looking pretty good. The afternoon eases off a bit, but still a solid session.

Now, Sunday, July 26th, is where things get interesting for the experienced crew. We’ve got a 8ft SE swell in the morning, but the period is a short 8 seconds. That’s a lot of water moving fast, and the energy is pumping at 1411. This is a big, dumpy wave. It’s an expert-only kind of day. The wind is light and clean, but that short period means it’s going to be a bit of a close-out at the beach. The afternoon drops to 6ft, still a handful.

Monday, July 27th, the morning is a cleaner 6ft from the SE, still with that short 8-second period, but the energy is lower at 730. The afternoon is a different story. The wind switches to a light offshore from the ESE, the swell drops to 2ft, but the period jumps to 17 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, and at a reef break, it’ll line up beautifully. That’s a real sneaky good session for the afternoon.

Tuesday, July 28th, the morning is back to 6ft from the SE with a 7-second period, so it’s a bit of a mess. The afternoon has a 3ft, 16-second SSW groundswell, which is much better for the reef.

The standout window is really the last week of July and the first week of August. Wednesday, July 30th afternoon is a gem. The wind goes glassy, the swell is 3ft from the SSW with a 19-second period, and the energy is a massive 1413. That’s a dreamy, clean, long-period groundswell. It’s an excellent session for experienced surfers.

But the true, absolute standout of the whole 16-day window is Tuesday, August 4th, at Downtowns. The morning is packing 8ft from the SSW with a 18-second period. The combined energy is a massive 5248. That is a very strong, powerful, and long-period swell. The wind is a light cross-off from the SSE, so it’s clean. This is a big, serious, expert-only day. The afternoon is just as good. That’s the one to circle on the calendar, but it’s a long way out, so keep your fingers crossed.

Wednesday, August 5th and Thursday, August 6th are also looking fantastic, with glassy conditions and solid, clean 7ft and 5ft SSW swells. The energy is still strong, and the waves will be perfect.

So, for the best on offer? The glassy, 19-second period session on Thursday afternoon, July 30th, is a true gem. But the big daddy is Tuesday, August 4th. That’s a serious swell with a very long period, so it’s going to be a proper, powerful groundswell that will work perfectly at this reef. Just be ready for the crowds, as it's a spot that can get busy.

Rusty.

Read more