Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks. We’ve only got one spot on the radar, so it’s all about Empty Lots for this stretch.

We start off with a bit of a mixed bag. The first couple of days, Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th of July, actually have some rideable waves, but the quality is a bit questionable. Monday morning is looking at a 4ft easterly swell with a fair bit of energy humming through (978), but the wind is a cross-shore breeze, so it’s gonna be a bit choppy and messy. The water is sitting at 80°, pretty much normal for this time of year. Monday afternoon cleans up a little with a cross-offshore wind, and the swell bumps up to 4ft.

Tuesday the 28th is the real standout of the early window. The swell is pushing 7ft in the morning, building to 7ft in the afternoon, all from the east with a period of 13 seconds. That’s a solid groundswell, and the wind is cross-offshore, so the faces will be nice and clean. The energy is strong (1618 and 1839), so you’ll feel the power. This is a bit of a bigger day, so it’s more for the advanced crew. Empty Lots is a reef, and with that long period, it’s likely to set up well. Crowds are possible here, so expect a few others in the water.

From Wednesday the 29th onward, things turn sour. The wind swings onshore or cross-shore, and the swell drops off or gets messy. Wednesday morning has a weak 5ft swell with a short 10-second period and light cross-onshore wind—just not worth it. After that, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions. From Thursday the 30th all the way through to Tuesday the 11th of August, the forecasts are all reading “poor surf conditions” with zero scores. The wind is blowing fresh and strong from the ENE, mostly cross-shore, creating lumpy, choppy, and generally unappealing surf. There’s a gap of nearly two weeks with nothing worthwhile. Even the swells that pop up, like a 5ft on the 31st with a short 8-second period, are ruined by the wind.

For a spot like Empty Lots, which is a fairly consistent reef, a blank run this long is a bit of a bummer, but it happens. The forecast can always change, so don’t lose all hope. But for now, if you’ve got a kite, that strong cross-shore wind on the 1st of August might be more fun than a surfboard.

Rusty.

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