Happisburgh Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what’s on the table for our local stretch of coast. I’ve gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one.

Looking at the whole 16-day window, the pattern is pretty grim. There’s a glaring gap right from the start. We’re talking about a stretch of days with no real surf on offer at all, from the first recommendation on Tuesday, July 21st, all the way through to the end of the month. The only break we’ve got to talk about is Happisburgh, and it’s just not cooperating.

The water is sitting at 64°F – that’s over 4°F warmer than you’d expect for this time of year, which is pretty notable. But that’s where the good news ends.

We kick off Tuesday, July 21st, with a tiny 2ft north swell, period a short 6 seconds. The combined energy is a weak 68. The wind is cross-off from the NNW at 9 mph, so the surface is clean, but there is no wave power to work with. A score of 0 tells the real story. Tuesday afternoon is a bit windier at 16 mph, still cross-off, but the swell is still only 3ft. It’s a total flat spell.

Wednesday, July 22nd, the swell tries to bump up to 4ft in the afternoon from the north with a 7-second period, and the energy climbs to a moderate 178. But it’s still a poor surf call. The wind stays cross-off from the NNW at 16 mph, so the surface is okay, but the lack of quality and consistency kills it.

Thursday, July 23rd, the swell is 4ft in the morning and 3ft in the afternoon, period stuck at 7 seconds. The wind goes cross-shore from the north at 12 mph, creating a messy cross-chop. The energy is still moderate (113 to 147), but the poor surf quality label is a dead giveaway. This isn’t a day to get excited about.

The rest of the outlook is a wasteland of tiny, weak swells under 2ft, with onshore and cross-onshore winds, and combined energy values dropping to single digits and low double digits. There’s a glassy moment on Monday, July 27th, with a 0.3ft, 10-second period swell, but that’s barely a ripple. The inconsistent nature of this break is really showing here.

The only faint flicker of life comes right at the end of the run. On Sunday, August 2nd, we see a 5ft north-east swell, period 6 seconds, with a moderate 124 energy. The wind is cross-shore from the north at 16 mph, so it’s still a bit lumpy with a cross-chop. The surf quality is still listed as poor. It’s not a standout, not by a long shot.

So, the honest truth is there are no standout days in this 16-day window. None. The surf is tiny, weak, and the conditions are poor. For a spot like Happisburgh, which is already inconsistent, this kind of blank run is more normal than you’d hope. It tends not to stay this poor forever, but for now, I’d be leaving the boards in the car and finding something else to do.

Rusty.

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