E-Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next couple of days are a bit of a write-off at E-Bay, but don’t walk away just yet. The real juice is waiting for us in the second week of August.

Right now, through the end of July and into the first weekend, the swell is small and onshore. We’re looking at knee-high, 3 ft, coming from the SSW with a solid 16 to 17-second period, but the wind is from the SE and SSE, blowing straight on. That’s a messy combo. The wave energy is moderate (577–665), but the conditions are marginal. Not worth paddling out for.

We hit a bit of a lull in the first few days of August. The swell stays around 3 ft to 4 ft, but the wind is cross-on or light cross. The wave energy is still moderate (485–792), but the quality is poor to marginal. Nothing to write home about.

Then things start to shift. By Monday the 4th of August, the wind swings offshore from the north, and we get a clean, glassy morning with 4 ft of S swell. The energy is moderate (745), but the conditions are good. Tuesday the 5th of August is the first real standout. The N wind is fresh at 12–15 mph, blowing offshore. The swell is 4 ft from the S with a 15-second period, and the wave energy is strong (826). Then on Tuesday afternoon, the period jumps to 20 seconds, and the energy surges to 1278. This is a proper groundswell. The waves are still only 3 ft, but the power is there, and it is clean. This is a solid session for the experienced crew.

Wednesday the 6th of August is even better. Offshore wind (N, 15 mph) and the swell lifts to 5 ft–6 ft from the S with a 16-second period. The energy is very strong (1444–1513). This is getting solid. Thursday the 7th of August sees the swell push to 6 ft–7 ft from the S, with a 17–18 second period. The wind is cross-off, and the energy is shot up to 2268–3669. This is big, powerful, and clean. For experts only. If you’re not comfortable in overhead, barreling waves, sit this one out. The reef at E-Bay will be working.

The 8th of August holds similar conditions: 6 ft–6 ft of S swell, offshore and cross-off winds, and very strong energy (1910–1934). Another top day for advanced surfers.

The 9th and 10th of August see the wind turn onshore, and the quality drops. The swell is still 5 ft–5 ft, but it gets chopped up. Not the pick.

Now, the big one. Tuesday the 11th of August. This is the standout of the entire forecast. The morning shows 10 ft of S swell with a 19-second period, and the energy is massive at 7036. The wind is cross-on from the SE, but the afternoon turns glassy. 10 ft of S swell, 18-second period, and the energy is still a massive 5221. This is a true, very long period groundswell hitting the reef. The waves will be powerful, thick, and straight. E-Bay is a reef, so it will handle this swell. This is exceptional for expert surfers only. Beginners, stay far, far away. The water temperature is 85°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a wetsuit.

After the 11th, the swell drops back to 7 ft–7 ft through the rest of the week, but the wind goes onshore from the SSE, and the quality is marginal. The energy is still strong (1349–3545), but the texture is messy. Not worth the drive unless you’re desperate for a paddle.

In short: ignore the first week. The best surf is August 5th through the 8th, and the absolute standout is the afternoon of August 11th at E-Bay. That’s a day for the memory books.

Rusty.

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