Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at Empty Lots for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, it’s a tough stretch. We’ve got almost two weeks of pretty ordinary conditions ahead before a flicker of something better shows up way down the line. Consistent swell is not the story here – it’s more about waiting for the right alignment.

Kicking off Monday the 10th and running right through the rest of the week, it’s a write-off. Small swell around 2 ft to 3 ft from the SSW, but the wind is a persistent cross-shore breeze from the ENE at 15 to 18 mph, and the water's sitting at 81°, which is pretty normal for this time of year (anomaly of 1°). The wave energy is moderate at best (389 to 1022), but the conditions are just poor – lumpy and cross-chop, no real clean face. This is a reef break, so that kind of chop makes it messy.

Heading into Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th, the swell tries to push 5 ft from the S, and wave energy climbs into the moderate-to-strong range (1125), but that wind stiffens to a fresh 22 mph from the ENE. It stays cross or cross-offshore, but the surface is just too lumpy for a good paddle. The forecast notes it as poor or marginal.

Now, the weekend of the 15th and 16th brings a bit more size, but it’s not surf-friendly. Saturday morning the 15th sees a short-period 7 ft E swell arriving with a 10-second period, and the energy is strong (1246). The wind goes cross-off from the NE at 22 mph, so the surface could be clean, but that swell direction (E) is not hitting the optimum SSE direction for this reef. The period is too short for a proper groundswell lining up. By Sunday the 16th, things get wild – an 12 ft ENE swell on Monday and blowing up to 18 ft by the afternoon, but with onshore SSE winds at 25 mph and storm risks. For a reef break, that is expert-only territory, and honestly, it looks more like a kite-surf day than paddling. Wave energy is extreme (3839 to 8125), but the quality is poor.

After that storm pulse, it drops back to small stuff for the next week. Monday the 17th has a glimmer of 3 ft S swell with a decent 14-second period, but the wind is still cross-onshore or cross, keeping it choppy. Energy is moderate (849). From Tuesday the 18th all the way through to Sunday the 24th of August, it’s tiny, mostly 2 ft from the SSW or SW, with persistent ENE cross-shore winds at 15 to 22 mph. The energy falls back to weak levels (208 to 553), and every entry is marked as poor surf.

Finally, there’s a slight hint of a turnaround on Monday the 25th and Tuesday the 26th. We see a 4 ft to 4 ft S swell arriving with a long 18 to 19-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy (1463 to 1509). Problem is, the wind is still a fresh cross-shore from the ENE, creating a lumpy cross-chop. It’s a marginal call, but for a reef break, that long period can produce a nice line if the wind ever clocks around. For now, it’s a promise, not a lock.

So, the standout option? Honestly, there isn't a clear winner here. If I were you, I’d keep an eye on that Monday the 25th session – the long-period S swell is the best quality swell in the window, but you’ll need to gamble on the wind cleaning up. The weekend blip on the 15th has size but the wrong direction and short period, making it a miss for Empty Lots.

Hang in there – the good stuff is a long way off.

- Rusty

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