Dunes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for the coming days.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but things build. The first real surf worth paddling out for kicks off on Friday morning, August 14th. The swell’s coming from the southwest at about 3ft, with a period of 17 seconds – that’s a long period groundswell, so it’ll have some push and the sets will be spaced out, making the paddle out a bit easier. The wind is light offshore from the southeast, so it’s going to be clean. The water temp is sitting at a standard 74°, right about average for this time of year – no surprises there. The combined swell energy is moderate at 493. It’s not going to be huge, but it’s a fun, clean start.

Saturday morning, the 15th, looks like another solid call. Still a clean 3ft of southwest swell, but the period drops a touch to 16 seconds. Wind stays light offshore out of the southeast, and the energy is still moderate at 468. Good, clean conditions for a weekend paddle.

Now, here’s the standout of the whole outlook. Tuesday, August 18th is the day to circle on the calendar. The morning session has a clean 5ft of southwest swell with that 17-second period, and strong offshore wind from the southeast. Wave energy jumps up to a solid 1417 – this is moderate to strong energy, and it’s the best quality on offer. Then Tuesday afternoon gets even better: the swell bumps to 6ft from the west-southwest, still a long 17-second period, and the wind drops to glassy – absolutely dead calm. The combined energy hits 2292, which is strong. This is a real treat for experienced surfers. The 6ft height is in the expert range.

The only thing to keep in mind: this break is a reef setup, and with that long-period swell, the waves will be well-shaped but can sometimes stand up a bit fast. It’s a consistent break, so you can bank on waves rolling through, but the crowds can show up sometimes.

After Tuesday, Wednesday the 19th of August is worth a look in the morning – there’s a solid 7ft of west-southwest swell, with a 16-second period and clean cross-offshore wind from the south. But the combined energy is massive at 2389, and it might be pushing the limits. The forecast actually flags it as too big for this specific break, so if you’re not an expert, be very careful. The afternoon eases back to 6ft but gets a bit choppy.

There’s a gap of poor conditions and smaller swell through the rest of the week, but Friday the 21st of August morning brings a big 8ft cleanup from the southeast with strong offshore wind. Again, this is flagged as too big for the break and the 2660 energy is very strong – expert only. The following morning of Saturday the 22nd sees a drop back to 5ft with offshore wind, which is more manageable but the energy is still moderate at 947.

By Monday the 24th of August, we’re back to a clean morning with 4ft, moderate energy, and offshore wind. A smaller but clean option. The rest of the outlook, through the 26th and 27th, is mostly marginal – knee to waist high, with variable wind and a mix of cross and cross-off conditions.

So, bottom line: Friday morning the 14th is your clean, fun start. But the real magic is Tuesday the 18th of August – both morning and afternoon, with the afternoon being absolutely glassy and pumping for experienced surfers. Don’t sleep on that one.

Rusty.

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