Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the only show in town for this stretch.

Alright, so we’ve got just one break to talk about over the next couple of weeks, and it’s called Empty Lots. It’s a reef setup, and it’s fairly consistent, which is something. But I gotta be straight with you—the first week and a half is looking pretty grim. We’re talking a solid run of poor surf conditions from the start on Thursday, August 6th, right through until about Wednesday, August 12th. That’s a long gap of nothing worth paddling out for. The wind is a stubborn cross-shore from the ENE most of that time, and the wave state is either cross-chop or lumpy. The swell is tiny, mostly under 2 ft, and even when it shows a bit of energy, the conditions just aren’t there.

Now, things start to get a bit interesting around Wednesday, August 12th. The swell picks up a notch, with a S swell around 4 ft to 5 ft, and the period is a solid 18 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy gets up there, hitting 1261 (moderate wave energy) on the Wednesday afternoon. But here’s the kicker: the wind is still a fresh cross-shore, and the wave comment is “marginal surf forecast,” so it’s not clean. A long period S swell like that at a reef? It could have some punch, but with that lumpy cross-chop, it’s gonna be a struggle. Not the standout.

The real standout, the one ray of light in this whole outlook, is on Thursday, August 20th. Mark it in your calendar. The afternoon session is looking promising. The wind goes glassy—dead calm, with a light 3 mph breeze from the ENE. That’s a major positive. The swell is a clean 3 ft from the SW with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 670 (moderate wave energy). The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions,” and it’s the only time in the whole 16 days we get that. The water temperature? It’s not mentioned as unusual, so figure it’s about average for this time of year at Empty Lots. Because it’s a reef, that long period SW groundswell could set up some nice lines. Keep in mind, this break is a reef, and it’s an advanced spot, so the long period might make it a bit more challenging, but with glassy conditions, this is the best we’ve got. Crowds are “sometimes” an issue, so you might have a few others with the same idea.

Beyond that, Friday, August 21st, has a little pulse but with a light cross-onshore wind, so it’s not the same quality. The first week and a half is a write-off, and the second week is mostly poor, but that one afternoon on the 20th is the one to chase.

Rusty out.

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