Harlyn Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. I’m looking at the charts for the Harlyn area, and I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a pretty grim outlook for the next sixteen days. We’ve got a long, dry spell ahead, so don’t be in a rush to wax your board.

The first real chance at anything surfable doesn’t come until the morning of Tuesday the 28th of July. We’re looking at a small, weak swell running about 3 ft from the west, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is a modest 103, so nothing to write home about. The water temperature is sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSW, which is not bad, but the conditions are described as "very ordinary." It’s barely surfable, and it’s a beginner-friendly wave, but honestly, it’s not worth getting excited about.

The Tuesday afternoon session drops off to a tiny 2 ft, and that’s the pattern for the rest of the week. From there, we hit a gap of several days where the surf is just plain poor. Through Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the swell is tiny, the period is short, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore. It’s a real dud. The morning of Monday the 3rd of August gives us a faint hope with a 3 ft swell from the WSW (combined energy 92), but the afternoon jumps up to 5 ft with a 307 energy reading. However, the wind cranks to 16 mph from the SW, and while it’s cross-off, it’s still messy. The quality is still considered poor.

Tuesday the 4th of August sees a drop back to 4 ft, but it’s cross-shore and choppy. The real kicker comes on Thursday the 6th of August, when the swell pushes to 6 ft from the NW, but the wind is a nasty cross-onshore at 16 mph, making it choppy and unappealing.

The next significant event shows up on the morning of Sunday the 9th of August. There’s a 7 ft west swell with a long 10-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a massive 850. That’s a lot of power, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the WNW at 19 mph. The conditions are lumpy and poor. This is a beach break setup, and with that much wind and swell, it’s going to be a washing machine. Honestly, for a paddle surfer, this is a write-off. If you’ve got a kite, this might be your window.

The pattern continues into the second week with more wind and lumpy conditions. Monday the 10th of August is similar, with 5 ft to 6 ft and onshore winds. The morning of Wednesday the 12th of August finally sees a change: a 2 ft swell from the west, but with a strong offshore wind from the south at 19 mph. That’s clean, but the swell is too small to ride.

The only standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Sunday the 9th of August. The 7 ft swell from the west has a 10-second period, and while the energy is high (850), the wind is terrible. This is not a beginner wave; it’s too big for that. The lack of clean wind spoils it completely. There is simply no good surf on offer in this entire 16-day window for Harlyn. It’s a blank run, and given the inconsistency of this spot, it’s not entirely surprising. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d find something else to do.

Rusty.

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