Golfcourse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ at Golfcourse over the next couple of weeks.

First off, the water temp is sitting at 81°, which is about 1° cooler than the average for this time of year—nothing crazy, just a touch on the fresh side.

The overall pattern is one of those flat spells that just drags on. We’re looking at a real long run of tiny, weak surf. From Wednesday the 15th right through to the morning of Saturday the 25th, the swell is barely a whisper. Most days we’re seeing waves around 1ft to 2ft, periods mostly between 8 and 10 seconds—short-period, weak energy (combined energy readings are mostly in the 50s to 90s, with a couple of small bumps into the low 100s). The wind though, that’s a silver lining. Mornings are often glassy or with a light offshore breeze, so the surface will be clean. But the size is just too small to get excited about. Afternoons tend to get a cross-onshore breeze that messes up what little is there.

The best you can hope for in this stretch is the mornings of Friday the 17th, Saturday the 18th, Sunday the 19th, Monday the 20th, Tuesday the 21st, and Wednesday the 22nd. They all have tiny 2ft east swell with glassy conditions. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th mornings are similar, with 2ft east swell and clean glass. It’s rideable on a longboard or a foamie, but it’s not gonna get the heart racing. The energy is low (65 to 117). The crowd situation at Golfcourse can be “often” busy, but with surf this small, it might not be too packed.

Now, things change dramatically come the last week of July. The 27th (Monday) we see a jump to 3ft, period 11 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 224 in the morning. That’s a moderate bump. The wind is onshore, though, so it’s not clean. By the 28th (Tuesday), the swell is building to 4ft, then 6ft by the afternoon, with a period of 14 seconds (long-period groundswell). The energy hits 471 and then 1310—strong. But the wind is cross-onshore and choppy, so the quality is poor.

The real standout, if you’re an expert, is the 29th and 30th (Wednesday and Thursday). Swell hits 8ft to 10ft, with a period of 13 to 14 seconds, and combined energy readings of 2090, 2313, 3346, and 4697—that’s very strong energy. But the wind is a messy cross-onshore, with risk of thunderstorms. The swell direction is SSE, which is not the optimum SE direction for Golfcourse. This is big, powerful, but ugly. It’s going to be lumpy, choppy, and dangerous. Honestly, with that onshore wind and the size, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Beginners, stay well away. Even for experts, it’s a challenge.

So, to wrap it up: the first week and a half is mostly flat and clean, but tiny. A longboarder’s delight if you just want to get wet. The big swell at the end of the month is powerful but messy, only for the brave and experienced.

Rusty out.

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