Flatrock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, gang, let’s break down the next couple of weeks at Flatrock. This reef break is wide open to the southwest, so it grabs plenty of groundswell, but the wind’s gonna be a tricky partner. The water’s sitting at 59°, which is normal for this time of year, so no wetsuit worries on that front.

The first wave of the run kicks off Tuesday afternoon, August 18. There’s a solid 5ft SW groundswell with a super long 16-second period, and the energy is pumping at 1203. The wind is a moderate breeze out of the NNE, which is cross-offshore, keeping the faces clean. It’s a solid start, but the waves are on the bigger side, so this is for the experienced crew. This spot breaks fairly consistently, but it can get a few people out there on a good day.

Wednesday morning, August 19, the wind turns onshore and blows hard, so we’ll skip that. Thursday and Friday are messy with cross-onshore winds, but Friday afternoon, August 21, has a glimmer. The swell hits 8ft from the SW, period 17 seconds, and the energy is a massive 4103. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, making it a bit choppy, but the power is real. The score is a ‘3’ for the afternoon, which is marginal, but the energy is undeniable.

Saturday, August 22, is a little better. The morning has 10ft of SW swell with a 15-second period, energy of 3666, and a light cross-onshore breeze. It’s still a bit lumpy, but the size is for experts only. The afternoon glass off with a 5 mph onshore wind and 8ft of swell is a nice window.

Now, the standout. Sunday morning, August 23. This is the one. The wind is a gentle NNE breeze, cross-offshore, and the swell is 8ft from the SW with a 16-second period. The combined energy is 3417, making for powerful, clean waves. The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers,” and I’m feeling it. The incoming tide and the long period should make for some proper, lined-up waves on this reef. This is the best on offer in the first week.

After that, it’s a bit of a lull into the middle of the week. Monday, August 24, is small and choppy. But Tuesday, August 25, brings a special treat. The morning has 5ft of SW swell, period 12 seconds, with a light offshore breeze from the east. Clean. Then the afternoon turns glassy – dead calm, no wind, with 5ft of long-period swell. That’s a true window for a paddle, even if the sets are a bit shorter. The energy is moderate at 1216, but the perfection is high.

The second week starts with a mess. Wednesday and Thursday, August 26 and 27, are blown out with strong winds and huge, lumpy swell. By Thursday afternoon, August 27, the swell hits 20ft from the SW with a 16-second period, and the energy explodes to 27476. The wind is a moderate cross-shore, but the report says the swell is too big for this break. We’re talking about a massive, dangerous ocean. Kite surfers might be in heaven, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a hard pass.

Friday and Saturday, August 28 and 29, clean up nicely. The wind goes cross-offshore and then offshore from the east, the swell drops to a manageable 10ft to 7ft, and the period stays solid. The surf is clean and powerful. Sunday, August 30, is a smaller, long-period swell with a clean cross-offshore breeze, which should be a fun, more manageable day. Monday, August 31, has a 6ft to 7ft SW swell with a 16-17 second period and a clean cross-offshore breeze. Nice.

The very end of the period, Tuesday and Wednesday, September 1 and 2, looks promising. The wind is offshore to light, the swell is around 7ft from the SW, and the period stretches out to 18 seconds on Wednesday morning. That’s a very long period groundswell, which will be best at this reef, and the energy is 2474. It’s clean and powerful.

So, the big standouts are the Sunday morning, August 23 session, and the glassy Tuesday afternoon, August 25. The second week is far less certain, but the end of the period around September 1-2 has real potential. Keep your eyes on the longer-range forecasts, but for now, get ready for the 23rd.

Rusty.

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