Fairhaven Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s comin’ down the line for Fairhaven. It’s gonna be a wild ride, but you gotta pick your moments.

The first half of this outlook is a bit of a slow burn, but the back half, especially the end of July and into the very start of August, has some serious grunt. We’ve got a massive pulse of long-period SW groundswell that’ll be too big for most, but there’s a sweet spot in the middle for the brave.

The water is sitting at 58°F, which is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about, just standard summer juice.

The best surf on offer is the window from the morning of Friday the 25th through to Monday the 28th of July. That’s where the stars align. The standout is Friday afternoon the 25th and Saturday morning the 26th. Friday afternoon sees a clean 7 ft SW swell with glassy conditions – that’s pure magic. Saturday morning, the 26th, is another beauty with a 7 ft SW swell under a light cross-offshore breeze, keeping the faces clean and punchy. This is where the experienced surfers will be grinning. The combined energy is strong, hitting 1741 and 1557, so there’s plenty of push.

Now, let’s walk through the full period. The action starts Thursday, 16th July. It’s a bit messy. We’ve got a 10 ft SW swell with a 15-second period, but the wind is cross-on, and the comment says “marginal.” The combined energy is massive at 4027, but it’s not clean. Still, a big groundswell is in the water. Skip Thursday afternoon.

Friday, 17th July, is a huge step up. Morning sees a 8 ft SW groundswell (16-second period) with a clean cross-offshore breeze. The afternoon glass off is a dream – 8 ft, glassy, and clean. That’s a solid day for the experienced crew. The energy is still strong (3259 & 3001).

Saturday, 18th, will be very good. The swell drops to 6 ft in the morning, still clean with a cross-off, and the afternoon glass off with a 6 ft SW swell. The energy drops to 1296, but the quality is there.

Sunday, 19th, through Wednesday, 22nd, is a mellow run. Swell drops to between 3 ft and 5 ft, with clean cross-offshore winds. It’s good fun, but not a standout. The energy is weak to moderate (480–922). Perfect for the beginners, but nothing to get too excited about.

Thursday, 23rd, and Friday, 24th, get messy. The swell jumps back to 10 ft, but the wind is a moderate cross-offshore, and the comments are “marginal.” The energy is huge (2699–3489), but the quality isn’t there. Big lumps for the brave who don’t mind some chop.

Then we hit the sweet spot. Friday, 25th, is a ripper. Saturday, 26th, is another top day. On Sunday, 27th, we get a solid 6 ft SW swell with clean cross-offshore winds. Monday, 28th, is a beast. The morning sees a 8 ft WSW swell with a moderate offshore breeze (20 km/h) – that’s clean and powerful. The afternoon jumps to 10 ft with the same offshore wind. The energy is huge (2212 & 3200). This is for experts only.

Tuesday, 29th, starts to get hairy. The swell is 10 ft in the morning, with a fresh 30 km/h cross-offshore wind. The afternoon is 12 ft, but the comment says the swell is too big for this break. The energy is insane (4192 & 4509). Only for the very experienced.

Wednesday, 30th, and Thursday, 31st, are a write-off. The swell is 12 ft to 13 ft, but the wind is cross-on and onshore, creating choppy, lumpy junk. The energy is astronomical (6100 & 15451), but you don’t want to paddle out into that. It’s a kite-surfing show, not a paddle-surfing one.

Friday, 31st, is a massive 13 ft SW swell with a 16-second period, but the wind is back onshore and the comment says it’s too big for the break. A total pass.

So, to wrap it up: The best waves are Friday the 25th through Monday the 28th of July. The absolute standouts are Friday afternoon (25th) and Saturday morning (26th) for the best combination of size, cleanliness, and wind. Monday the 28th is for the big-wave chargers only. The rest is a mix of building swell and wind that will make it tricky.

Rusty.

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