Dunes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s brewing for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s not all perfect. The first few days are a bit average, but there’s a real standout window in the middle of the first week that’s got me excited.

The water’s sitting at 75°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so nothing weird going on with the temperature.

We start off on Saturday, August 1st, with some clean, rideable waves at Dunes. The morning is the pick of the session – a 4ft SW swell with a proper 16 second period, that’s a nice long groundswell. The wind is offshore from the SE, which will keep the faces tidy. The energy is moderate (654). It’s a reef break, so that long period will wrap in nicely. The afternoon flips to a cross-on wind, which kills the vibe a bit, making it marginal.

Sunday, August 2nd, is a bit of a letdown. The swell drops to 3ft, and the period shortens. The morning is clean, but the afternoon gets a cross-chop. Honestly, not worth rushing out for.

Monday, August 3rd, is a write-off. The wind is up and messy, the swell is weak. Don’t bother.

Tuesday, August 4th, is a bit of a redemption. The morning is clean, 3ft SW swell, but the afternoon is the real gem. The wind goes light, the swell bumps up to 3ft but with a 15 second period, and the energy is moderate (524). It’s a clean, glassy setup. It’s a good one for a sunset session.

Now, Wednesday, August 5th, is the standout. This is the best on offer. The morning is firing: 5ft of SW swell with a 17-second period – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. The wind is offshore from the SE, and the energy is ramping up (1040). The afternoon is even better: the wind goes glassy, absolute zero wind, and the swell holds. This is a day for experienced surfers, as 5ft on a reef with that much juice can be a handful. The crowd profile says “sometimes”, so you might have a few others out, but it’s worth the paddle.

Thursday, August 6th, sees the swell bump up to 5ft, still with that long 16-second period. The morning is clean with a cross-off wind, and the energy is strong (1287). This is another excellent session for the experienced crew. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy with a cross-shore wind, so hit the morning.

Friday, August 7th, is still good, with 5ft SW swell, but the wind is a bit stronger. The morning is clean, but the afternoon is a gusty mess. Get up early.

The second week is a bit of a mixed bag. Saturday, August 8th, has a solid 6ft SW swell, but that’s getting big for a reef, and the wind is howling (22 mph). That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’ll be a battle. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday, August 9th, the swell drops back to 5ft-6ft, but the morning has a moderate breeze. The afternoon is the real treat: glassy conditions, 5ft of clean SW swell. Another good one for a late session.

The rest of the week from Monday, August 10th, to Wednesday, August 12th, is pretty poor. The wind is stupid strong, gusting up to 31 mph, and the swell is small and weak. Don’t even think about it.

Thursday, August 13th, has a very interesting swell. It’s only 2ft, but the period is 21 seconds – that’s a very long groundswell. The morning is a mess with a cross-off wind, but the afternoon goes glassy, with 2ft of energy. It’ll be weak, but the sets will be clean and long. A nice novelty session.

Friday, August 14th, sees the swell pick up to 4ft with a 18-second period. The morning is clean, the afternoon goes onshore. A decent morning session.

Saturday, August 15th, is a bit average, 3ft swell, clean but nothing special.

Sunday, August 16th, is the second standout. The morning is clean, 4ft of SW swell with a 16-second period, and the energy is moderate (686). The wind is light and cross-off. This is a really nice, clean, consistent setup. The afternoon gets a bit choppy, so get out early.

Rusty.

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