Emma Wood State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you. We've got a full 16-day window ahead, and to be honest, it's a bit of a tough one to call. The forecast is showing a long stretch of small, weak swell with onshore or cross-onshore winds, which is a recipe for pretty ordinary conditions. There's a lot of waiting involved here.

The first real chance for a paddle comes on Friday, the 7th of August. We're looking at Emma Wood State Beach. The swell is tiny, just 1ft from the SSW with a very long period of 19 seconds. That's a groundswell, which is good for shape, but at this size it's barely going to break. The water temp is a very unusual 70°, which is 6° warmer than normal for this time of year. The combined swell energy is weak (118). On Friday morning there's a light breeze, but it's onshore, so don't expect any magic. Friday afternoon gets a bit choppy with a cross-onshore breeze.

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are more of the same – tiny 1ft swell, same direction, and persistent cross-onshore winds. The energy is still weak, bumping up to 145 on Saturday morning but it's just not enough to get excited about. The sets will be few and far between with that long period.

The whole first week, right through to Thursday the 14th, is a real grind. The swell stays below 2ft, with weak energy readings (mostly under 163). The wind is almost always cross-onshore or onshore, leaving the surface messy. This is a beginner-friendly break anyway, but even for a beginner, there's just nothing to ride.

Now, we finally see a bit of a pulse starting to show on Saturday the 15th of August. The swell bumps up to 2ft from the SSW, with the combined energy hitting 251 (moderate). The period is still a long 16 seconds. The wind on Saturday morning is a light cross-onshore, which is better. It's still not great, but it's the best we've seen in a fortnight. This is the closest thing we have to a standout, but it's a long way off and still not a guarantee.

Things get a little more interesting by Friday the 21st of August. Swell picks up to 3ft from the W, with a shorter period of 11 seconds and a combined energy of 340 (moderate). The wind on Friday morning is light and onshore from the WSW. It's still poor surf, but the energy is there. The following Saturday the 22nd shows similar energy levels (252-317) but the swell drops back to 2ft.

Honestly, for the next 16 days, there's nothing that's going to get the heart racing. The best bet, if you're desperate, is to keep an eye on that window around the 15th of August for a slight uptick in size, but keep your expectations low. The wind is never truly offshore, so the surface is always going to be a factor. For a beach and reef setup like this, with the small, weak swell and constant cross-shore breeze, it's looking more like a kite-surfing spot than a paddle-surfing one for the foreseeable future.

Stay patient, mate. The ocean will come around.

Rusty

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