Halfway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Imperial

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got some solid SSW groundswell building into *Halfway* over the next couple of weeks. It’s a fairly exposed spot that likes a good SW direction, and this run has exactly that – a long period swell that’s got some serious weight behind it. The combined energy is jumping into strong territory, around 1296, early on.

The first few days are a bit of a tease. Tuesday morning (August 4) and Wednesday have some clean conditions but the surf is “marginal” – the swells are there but the quality isn’t quite locking in. You’ll see chest-high sets (5 ft) with a nice 14 to 15 second period, but the wind is cross-off, not fully offshore. It’s okay, but not the standout.

The real standout is Thursday morning, August 6. That’s the one. The wind goes fully offshore from the ESE at 19 mph, the swell is a solid 7 ft from the SSW with a very long 17 second period, and the energy is pumping (2460). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – the kind of morning where the lineup cleans up and the sets have real power. It’s a bit too big for beginners, but for the rest of us, it’s a beauty.

The swell actually holds through the weekend (August 7-9) with waves around 7 ft to 8 ft, but the wind stays cross-off, so it’s not as pristine as Thursday. The energy is still high, but the lack of glassy offshore wind keeps it from being a top pick.

Then we get a bit of a strange one on Monday, August 10. The afternoon shows a massive 10 ft SSW swell with an 18 second period – the energy is 4844, huge! But the file says it’s predicted to be too big for the break. That’s a monster. Tuesday, August 11 morning is the same size. Unless you’re a big-wave charger, sit this one out. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The surf settles back down through the middle of the month. By Thursday, August 13, it’s in the 8 ft to 8 ft range with a 16 to 17 second period, still cross-off. It’s consistent, but nothing is screaming “drop everything.”

The second half of the run has another clue. Friday, August 14 morning is a standout for the experienced crew. The wind goes offshore again (ESE at 16 mph), the swell is 8 ft with a 16 second period, and the energy is 3363. The file says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s a call. The afternoon wind is a bit stronger cross-off, so get it in the morning.

The following week sees the swell holding around 7 ft to 8 ft, but the wind is mostly cross-off. The energy stays moderate to strong, but the quality is “marginal” except for a couple of nice windows. Tuesday, August 18 afternoon looks great with a gentle SSE breeze and clean 8 ft SSW swell (energy 3842). And then Wednesday, August 19 morning also has light winds (9 mph SE) and clean 8 ft surf (energy 3173). Both are marked as excellent for experienced surfers. These are the ones to aim for in the second week.

Overall, the best sessions are Thursday morning, August 6, then Friday morning, August 14, and the tail end on Tuesday afternoon, August 18 and Wednesday morning, August 19. The crowds are listed as “sometimes” at Halfway, so you might get lucky with a quiet peak, but don’t count on being alone. It’s a fairly consistent break, so when the swell is on, it’ll be worth the paddle.

Rusty.

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