Downtowns Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid run of surf on the cards. The first real action kicks off on Friday the 31st of July, and it’s looking like a long, pumping stretch all the way through to mid-August. The standout spot is gonna be Downtowns (reef). Water temp is sitting right on 80.1°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

We start things off on Friday morning the 31st with a clean 4.3ft SSW swell, a long 17-second period, and a light southerly cross breeze. The afternoon cleans right up with a glassy SE wind and 3.9ft, still that long-period groundswell. The energy is already strong, reading 1312 to 1495 (combined energy). It’s a solid start.

Saturday the 1st of August sees the swell building. The morning is a little onshore with a 4.6ft SSW swell, but the afternoon is the pick: glassy conditions with a 5.6ft SSW swell, 17-second period, and the energy cranking up to 1660. Definitely a session for the more experienced crew.

Sunday the 2nd of August pumps again. The morning has a bit of cross-onshore wind with 6.6ft, but the afternoon is glassy, same size, and the energy is over 2000. That’s proper wave energy. The 6.6ft mark is getting big, so it’s not for beginners, but it’s a ripper for those who know what they’re doing.

Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th of August keep the fun going. Both mornings are glassy, 5.6ft, with that long-period SSW swell. The waves are clean, powerful, and consistent. This is the kind of week you take a sick day for.

Now, the real standout is shaping up for Thursday the 6th of August. The afternoon is looking mint: offshore wind from the east, 7.2ft SSW swell, 16-second period, and the energy is 2663. That’s a serious amount of water moving. Clean, lined-up waves for the experienced.

Then we get a spike of proper power on Tuesday the 11th of August. The morning session has a 11.5ft SSW swell, 18-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell – and the energy is a massive 6657. That’s getting into big-wave territory. This is for experts only. The reef at Downtowns should handle it well, but it’s going to be a heavy, serious paddle out. The afternoon stays big at 11.5ft.

The last week of the outlook keeps the swell in the 6.6ft to 11.5ft range, but the winds become more variable with cross-shore and cross-onshore breezes. The 13th of August afternoon has another 11.5ft pulse with a 17-second period and 6226 energy, but the wind is a bit more messy. Still, there’s plenty of push.

Overall, the best windows are the afternoons of Saturday the 1st, Sunday the 2nd, and Thursday the 6th of August, with the Thursday the 6th afternoon being the absolute standout for clean, powerful waves. The Tuesday the 11th morning is for the big-wave crew only.

Remember, a 17-second period means those lulls between sets are longer, so you’ll have time to get out, but the waves will be packing a punch.

Hang loose, and I’ll see you in the water.

Read more