Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at what's on the cards for Empty Lots.

Alright, so the outlook for Empty Lots over the next 16 days is a bit of a mixed bag. We're looking at a window that starts with some moderate swell but the wind is going to be a real problem for most of it. The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The best chance for a decent wave comes up on Wednesday, July 29th. The morning starts with a light cross-on breeze and 5ft swell from the ENE, but the real stand-out is the afternoon. We get a glassy clean-up with 4ft of ENE swell, period around 9 seconds. That's not going to be a massive day, but with the wind totally dropping out, it'll be the cleanest surf of the whole run. The combined energy is moderate at 582, so there's a bit of push. With the water being warm and the conditions that good, it's worth a paddle. Empty Lots is a reef break, and it's fairly consistent here, which is a plus, but it does get crowded sometimes, so expect some company.

The early part of the run, from Tuesday the 28th, has some size with 7ft to 7ft swell from the E, but it's crossed-up by a strong NE wind. The combined energy is strong, hitting 1569 and 1657, but the wind is going to trash it. This is a reef setup, and with that much wind and cross-chop, it might actually be more interesting for a kite session than a paddle session.

From Thursday the 30th onwards, it really goes downhill for a while. The wind cranks from the ENE and sticks around, with speeds hitting 25 to 28 mph. The swell stays around 5ft to 8ft, but it's short-period, 8-second windswell, and the cross-wind creates a horrible, lumpy chop. The combined energy is moderate to strong (816 to 1250), but it's just messy. This pattern of poor conditions looks set to last for about a week, right through to Wednesday, August 6th.

There's a glimmer of hope late in the run. On Sunday, August 9th, we see a shift. The swell direction swings to the SSW, and the period jumps to a very long 18 seconds. That's a proper groundswell. The morning has 3ft at 18 seconds, and the combined energy is strong at 937. The wind is still a fresh cross-shore, so it won't be perfect, but that long-period energy is promising. The afternoon is similar, 3ft at 18 seconds with 892 energy. The wind lightens up a touch but is still cross-shore.

This long-period SSW swell is best suited for a reef like Empty Lots, but these long-period swells can be a bit tricky. They tend to have long waits between sets, but the waves that come through will have plenty of shape and power. The wind continues to be a cross-shore issue through the following days, but the swell direction and period are a big improvement over the short-period junk we saw earlier. This is the only other window worth keeping an eye on, but it's a long-range call so it's a bit less certain.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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