Gilligans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The long-range charts are showing a bit of a frustrating stretch for us here at Gilligans. There’s surf on the table, but it’s going to be a game of patience, picking the right windows, and wrestling with cross winds for most of the run.

The water is sitting at a warm 85° right now, which is about 1° above the long-term average for this time of year. So, nothing crazy, just your typical warm summer water.

The first few days are pretty rough, honestly. Friday the 14th, we’ve got a 7ft south swell with a 16-second period, but that cross-shore wind is going to chop it all up. It’s going to be a bit of a mess. Saturday the 15th isn't much better, a bit smaller at 6ft and the wind is still messy. You’re not missing much if you give this opening stretch a miss.

Then things start to settle for a minute. Sunday the 16th is where it starts to get interesting. The swell drops to a clean 5ft from the south, but the wind goes glassy in the morning with an offshore touch. The period is a solid 15 seconds, and the energy is moderate (1187). This is the first real standout. It’s clean, it’s got push, and it’s going to be a fun one for the intermediate crew. The afternoon looks just as good, with 5ft and glassy conditions. If you can get out there, this is the day.

Monday the 17th has some decent morning potential. The swell is 4ft from the SSW, the wind is cross-offshore, and the wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” It won’t have the size of Sunday, but it will be clean. The afternoon is a write-off, dropping to 3ft with onshore junk.

Then we’ve got a few days of mediocrity before the ocean gets a bit of a fire lit under it. Tuesday the 18th sees the swell building again, hitting 5ft, but with that cross-onshore wind, it will be lumpy. The energy is starting to pick up though, with 3003 in the combined reading, so the ocean is waking up.

Hold on to your hats for Wednesday the 19th. This is the big one. The swell jumps to a solid 10ft from the SSW with a 17-18 second period. The energy is in the very strong range, hitting 5230-5402. This is a serious groundswell. But, that size is getting up there. At 10ft, this is only for experts. The wind is only a light cross-shore, so the conditions might be okay, but the power and size will be intimidating for most. This is less of a “fun” day and more of a “hold on” day. The period is long, which suits a reef like Gilligans, but it’s a beast. The forecast ratings are the highest we see across the whole window, but you need to know what you’re doing.

Thursday the 20th backs off to a still-chunky 8ft with the same SSW direction, but the wind is up again, making things choppy.

The following week is full of “marginal” calls. We’re looking at a plateau of 4ft to 7ft swells from the SSW, but with persistent cross-shore winds and a lot of storm risk. Nothing really stands out as clean or worth getting excited about. The energy in the water is moderate for most of it, ranging between 1000 and 2700. There’s a pulse on the 24th with 7ft and an 18-second period, but again, the wind is just not playing ball.

So, if you’re looking for the best of it, your window is that Sunday the 16th. It's a beautiful, glassy, manageable size with quality, long-period swell. That’s your pick. For the experts, Wednesday the 19th is the challenge, a powerful, XXL day where the reef will be cranking. After that, it looks like a waiting game for the winds to sort themselves out.

Rusty

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