FA's Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m Rusty, and I’m looking at the coming 16 days for FA's (F-As). Gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The forecast kicks off on Friday, August 21st, and honestly, it’s a long, flat, and messy grind. We’re looking at a solid 10-day gap where the surf is just not worth paddling out for. The combined swell energy is weak, with values sitting in the 20s to 50s for most of that run, and the wave heights are barely cracking 2ft. The swell period is mostly short – around 8 to 9 seconds – so there’s no real push or power behind it.

The first real hint of something surfable doesn’t show up until Friday morning, August 28th. The swell is still tiny at 2ft from the East, with a period of 10 seconds. The wind is glassy, which is a big plus, but the energy is only 72 (moderate), and the waves are described as "ordinary." It’s a beginner-friendly ankle-snapper, but it’s not going to get the heart pumping.

The next morning, Saturday, August 29th, is pretty similar. The wind is glassy again, swell is 2ft from the East, but the period drops back to 8 seconds, and the energy is 58. It’s clean, but tiny. The water temperature is 85°, which is about 0.9° warmer than the average for this time of year – normal, nothing to write home about.

Sunday morning, August 30th, offers the same glassy feel with a 2ft East-southeast swell, but still at that short 8-second period. The energy is 57. It’s clean, but forgettable.

The best on offer in this whole 16-day window is Monday morning, August 31st. It’s still small – 2ft from the East-southeast – but it’s the biggest wave we see in the whole forecast. The wind is light and glassy out of the Northeast, which will keep it clean. The crowd situation at FA's is "often" busy, so you’ll have company, but for a spot that’s "fairly consistent" and a beginner-friendly beach and reef setup, it’s the best time to paddle out. The swell period is still short though (8 seconds), so don’t expect any long, peeling walls. The combined energy is 50, which is still weak.

After that, the surf fades back into the same old pattern of tiny, onshore junk through the first week of September. There’s a glassy morning on Thursday, September 3rd, with a 2ft East swell and a 9-second period, but the energy is only 40. The same on Friday, September 4th, with a 1ft swell and 25 energy. By Saturday, September 5th, the swell shifts to the East-northeast with a 2ft face but a terrible 4-second period – that’s just wind chop, not surf.

If you’re looking for a standout, the only one to even mention is that Monday morning, August 31st. It’s the biggest swell of the run, with glassy conditions. It’s not a world-class day, but it’s the best you’ve got. For everything else, this beach setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the consistent onshore winds and chop. A blank run like this is normal for the area – it’s a tough stretch, but we’ve seen it before. The forecasts can change, so keep an eye on the glass.

Rusty.

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