Emma Wood State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you: the next couple of weeks look pretty flat and sad for Emma Wood State Beach. This is a beach and reef setup that’s fairly exposed to the SW, and it’s rated as a beginner spot, but we’re staring down a long stretch of hardly any rideable waves.

Right now, starting Tuesday the 21st of July, we’ve got nothing. Tiny swell, poor conditions, and the water is abnormally warm at 69°F, which is a whopping 6°F above normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual. But the surf? It’s flat. The combined energy is weak, sitting around 294 (weak), and the swell is a meager 2ft from the SSW, with a long period of 14 seconds. That long period would normally mean some shape, but the wind is onshore and the waves are just too small and messy. The whole week stays like this: tiny swells, poor surf, with the combined energy never breaking 500. The afternoon of the 22nd sees a 5ft W swell, but it’s only 6 seconds of period, blown out by a 12 mph cross-onshore wind. That’s more of a washing machine than a wave.

The morning of the 24th of July has a ridiculous 1ft SSW swell with a 24-second period, giving combined energy of 409 (still weak). That’s a long, long period, but at this size it’s just a bump. No good. The whole first week is basically a write-off.

We do see a tiny flicker of life around the 27th of July. The morning swell is 2ft from the SSW, 18-second period, combined energy of 452 (weak). The wind is light and onshore, so it’s clean-ish but tiny. The afternoon of the 27th is called “marginal” – the only time in the whole forecast that gets a 1/10 score. That’s the best we’ve got, and it’s still not worth paddling out for.

After that, it fades again. The 28th, 29th, 30th – all poor. The 31st of July has a 3ft S swell with 14 seconds, combined energy of 391, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. No good. Then into August, we’re looking at swells under 3ft, weak energy, and often onshore winds. The morning of the 4th of August has a 2ft W swell at 9 seconds, but it’s a moderate cross-onshore breeze making it choppy.

In short, there’s a full 16-day stretch of poor to marginal surf. The only time the score even reaches a 1 is on the 27th and 29th of July, but even then it’s just a tiny, clean, weak wave. There are no standouts. No big swells. No good winds. The only thing worth noting is that the water is way warmer than usual, but that’s not going to help you catch a wave.

This is a bummer, but it happens. The breaks here are fairly consistent in general, so it’s just a rough patch. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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