Freights Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Freights. It’s a point break that’s pretty exposed, and the optimum swell direction is from the ESE. Water temp is sitting at a warm 83.7°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

Right off the bat, this isn’t a week for beginners to get excited. The first real surf we see is Saturday afternoon, August 8th. It’s a small 3.3ft east swell with a short 7-second period, so weak energy (177). The wind is offshore, but with 25 km/h it’s a moderate breeze, keeping things clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Not the kind of day you’d race down for.

Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th are pretty poor. The swell stays small, period short, and the wind swings cross-offshore. It’s messy. There’s a brief window Monday afternoon with a tiny 2.0ft southeast swell and 8-second period (137 energy) and offshore wind, but honestly, it’s barely worth a paddle.

Things pick up a little around Wednesday the 12th. We get a 5.6ft ENE swell with a 7-second period, combined energy climbing to 255, and fresh offshore wind. It’s on the cusp, but the scores suggest it’s still marginal. The morning of Thursday the 13th sees 6.6ft ENE swell with 8-second period and a big jump in energy to 437, but again, the conditions are described as poor. The wind is a fresh offshore, clean, but the quality isn’t there.

Now, Friday the 14th of August is where it gets interesting. This is the standout in the whole forecast. We’ve got a 9.8ft east swell in the morning, period jumping to 11 seconds, and the combined energy is massive – 4121. That’s strong. By the afternoon it gets even bigger: 14.8ft ENE swell, 12-second period, energy at 5089. The wind is a strong 40 km/h offshore. This is big, powerful groundswell. For a point break like Freights, that long period (11-12 seconds) should line up beautifully. However, this is strictly for experts. At over 8ft, and especially at 14.8ft, this is not for the faint of heart. It will be heavy, and with that strong offshore wind, it’ll be clean but hard to paddle into. Crowds are listed as “often,” so expect a packed lineup if you’re game.

Saturday the 15th drops off quickly – 7.5ft ENE swell but the period drops back to 8 seconds, energy down to 753, and strong wind. It’s still offshore, but the quality is poor. Not the same day as Friday.

Sunday the 16th has an 8.2ft ENE swell in the afternoon with a very long 13-second period and energy at 2296. That’s a proper groundswell. The wind is a fresh offshore. This could be a good session, but again, it’s big. The morning is smaller at 6.2ft.

The second week gets weaker. Monday the 17th has 7.5ft east swell with a 10-second period, but the wind swings to a gentle cross-shore from the SSE, introducing some chop. Energy is still decent at 1065, but the cross-shore wind takes the shine off.

From Tuesday the 18th through the rest of the month, the swell drops below 6.6ft and the period sits at 8-9 seconds. The wind stays offshore or cross-offshore, keeping it clean, but the energy drops steadily from 508 down to 152 by Saturday the 22nd. The waves become small and weak. There’s a little bump on the 23rd of August with a 4.6ft east swell and 7-second period, but it’s still just marginal.

Overall, the one true standout is Friday, August 14th. That’s the day to circle. The 14.8ft ENE groundswell with that strong offshore wind is as good as it gets for the crew with the skills to handle it. The rest of the period is mostly small to medium, with only a few days like Sunday the 16th offering a decent, but big, option. For the average surfer, there’s not much to write home about until that big Friday hits.

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