Fare Left Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Fare Left.

We’ve got a solid run of swell on the way, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag with the wind. The first few days have some serious size but the wind is a problem. The real standout window for clean, quality waves is later in the second week, and that’s where I’d be aiming my sights.

Friday, August 7th kicks things off, but it’s messy. We’re looking at a 6 ft SSW swell (1292 combined energy) with a 19 mph cross-off wind from the SSE. The water’s a warm 80°, which is about average for this time of year. It’s clean, but the wind is fresh and marginal. By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 7 ft, but that wind gets up to 25 mph, making it tough. This trend continues into Saturday, August 8th with a 8 ft swell in the morning and a 10 ft beast in the afternoon. The wind is still strong and cross-off, creating a lot of chop. This is big, powerful stuff – over 8 ft, so it’s expert territory only. The combined energy is massive, hitting 2876 in the afternoon. Sunday, August 9th is the biggest of this stretch, with a 10 ft SSW swell and a 16-second period, making it a very long period groundswell. The energy is off the charts at 5400. But the wind is still howling at 28 mph, trashing the surface. This kind of long period at a reef break like Fare Left can be incredible, but the wind is just brutal.

Monday, August 10th through Tuesday, August 11th sees the swell slowly drop from 8 ft down to 4 ft, but the wind stays strong and cross-off, with Tuesday afternoon even hitting a near gale at 34 mph. Pretty much a write-off for paddle surfing; that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing.

Wednesday, August 12th brings a change. The wind swings to the ESE, giving us offshore flow. The swell is 5 ft to 6 ft with a 14-16 second period, and the combined energy is moderate to strong (1391-1869). The wind is fresh, but it’s offshore and clean. This is a much better look, but the conditions are still marginal.

Thursday, August 13th is when things get good. The morning has a 6 ft SSW swell with a 14-second period and a light 9 mph cross-off wind. The combined energy is 1288. The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” and I can see why. The afternoon gets even better with a 16 mph offshore wind from the E, keeping the 5 ft swell clean and lined up. This is a prime window.

Friday, August 14th the swell backs off a bit to 4 ft, but the afternoon is clear with a light 9 mph wind and “expect very good surf conditions.” It’s smaller, but clean.

Now, the real highlight is Wednesday, August 19th and Thursday, August 20th. On the 19th, we get a 5 ft SSE swell with a 14-second period and a gentle offshore breeze from the E. The combined energy is 1618. The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” – this is where you want to be. The next day, Thursday, August 20th is even better. A 5 ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and a gentle offshore wind from the ENE. The combined energy jumps to 1854 in the afternoon. Perfect, clean conditions for a reef break like this. This is the standout of the entire forecast.

Friday, August 21st is also excellent, with a 6 ft SSW swell and light offshore winds in the morning, staying clean all day. The run of quality continues into Saturday, August 22nd, but the wind picks up to a cross-off, making it less appealing.

So, the pattern is clear: messy, windy, big surf for the first week, then a shift to cleaner, more manageable conditions. The absolute best windows are the afternoons of Thursday, August 13th, and Wednesday, August 19th through Thursday, August 20th. Don’t sleep on those days.

Rusty.

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