H-Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for H-Reef. I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is pretty grim. The wind is locked in from the east and east-northeast, blowing cross-shore at 12 to 16 mph, and the swell is small, short-period windswell from the east. The water temp is 79°, which is right on the money for this time of year. But the wave comment says it all: "poor surf conditions." The combined energy readings are mostly in the 200s (moderate energy), but with that wind and short period, it’s just messy.

We’re looking at a solid block of no-go from Thursday, July 16th, all the way through to Friday, July 24th. Nothing worth paddling out for. The swell tries to pick up a little on the 18th and 19th, hitting 6 ft to 6 ft from the east, but the period is still a weak 8 seconds and the wind is cross. That’s a recipe for a bumpy, blown-out mess.

Then, things get more interesting from Saturday, July 25th. The swell period jumps to 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy rockets into the four-digit range, hitting 1025 on Saturday morning and building to 2346 by Sunday afternoon. That’s very strong wave energy. The swell height is around 4 ft to 5 ft from the east, which is a long-period east swell. The issue? The wind is still cross-shore from the east-northeast at 16 mph, so it’s not glassy. The wave comment upgrades to "marginal" – it’s not terrible, but it’s not clean.

The best bet in this whole 16-day window is Monday, July 27th, into Tuesday, July 28th. Swell holds at 5 ft to 7 ft from the east, with a period of 13 to 16 seconds. The wind finally drops to a light breeze, with speeds of 6 to 9 mph, though it’s cross-onshore. The combined energy is massive, hitting 2862 on Monday afternoon. That’s a lot of energy in the water. For a reef break like H-Reef, this long-period east swell is going to produce some proper, well-shaped lines. The optimum swell direction is from the north-northeast, so this east swell is a bit off-angle, but with that much energy and the wind easing, this is the standout. Tuesday morning looks like the pick, with 7 ft east swell at 13 seconds and a light 6 mph cross-onshore breeze. It’s still a bit bumpy, but it’s the cleanest we’ll see.

After that, it fades. Wednesday, July 29th, the swell drops back to 5 ft to 5 ft, period drops to 12 seconds, and the wind picks up to 9 mph cross-shore. By Thursday, July 30th, it’s back to poor conditions.

So, to sum it up: nothing for the first ten days. Then a long-period east groundswell arrives, but the wind is messy. The real standout is the last two days of July – Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th. That’s when you want to be at H-Reef for the biggest, most powerful waves of the period. It’s a fairly consistent spot, and it’s exposed, so it handles the east swell. The water is normal temp. Look for the 7 ft sets on Tuesday morning. It’s still a little cross-onshore, but it’s the best on offer.

Rusty.

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