Fall Bay Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table.

To be straight with you, it’s a lean stretch at Fall Bay Reef. The next week and a bit is pretty much a write-off. We’re talking tiny, weak swells with wave energy barely tickling the water. Combined energy readings are mostly in the teens or twenties – just anemic. You’ll see small 1.0ft to 2ft swells coming from the W or WSW, but with a period around 5 seconds, that’s just wind slop, not surf. The water temperature at the start is a very unusual 68°, a massive 7° warmer than normal for this time of year – you won’t need a thick wetsuit, that’s for sure.

Thursday morning the 30th looks clean with a light NW cross-off breeze, but the swell is still a pathetic 2ft. There are a few glassy windows – like Sunday morning August 2nd with a glassy offshore and a 1ft whisper of WSW swell – but again, you’ll be bobbing around on nothing. This spot is inconsistent at the best of times, and we’re in one of those quiet runs that’s pretty normal for the area. Don’t plan your week around it.

Things finally start to look alive on Friday morning August 7th. We get a proper jump in wave energy, hitting 423. Swell comes up to 6ft from the WSW with an 8-second period. A bit of cross-shore breeze won’t help the shape though, and the forecast says marginal surf with questionable tide conditions. That bumps to 8ft by Friday afternoon (energy 878) – that’s a solid push, but it also puts it in the expert-only zone, especially with a moderate cross-shore wind chopping it up. Still, for the brave, it’s the most power we’ve seen all outlook.

Saturday August 8th morning stays chunky with 5ft from the WSW (energy 336), but again, cross-shore wind and a lumpy texture. The week after that drops back down into the 3ft to 4ft range, with a standout window on Tuesday morning August 11th. That morning brings a clean 4ft swell (energy 362) with a nice light offshore breeze from the N. That’s your pick of the entire 16 days – clean, rideable, and with enough period (8 seconds) to hold a line. But it’s a short window; the afternoon kicks up to a 16 mph cross-off breeze that will spoil it.

The call: If you’re desperate, the only time worth making the paddle is the morning of August 11th. Otherwise, Friday August 7th has the size but the wind and tide aren’t doing us any favors. For the rest, keep the board in the car and wait for a better forecast.

Rusty.

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