Harlyn Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. I’m not gonna lie to you, this is a tough one. The next 16 days are looking bleak for Harlyn. The swell windows are all wrong, the wind is mostly a mess, and the wave heights are just not doing what we need them to do. For almost the entire first week, we’re looking at tiny, weak, short-period wind swell—mostly from the north, which is the worst possible direction for this spot. Harlyn is a sheltered cove, and it needs a strong west-northwest to really light up. Instead, we’re getting onshore north winds and flat, gutless conditions. The combined swell energy is weak, barely cracking 60 or 70 (62) for most of the first week, with heights under 3ft. It’s a write-off.

There’s a long gap of nearly a week with absolutely nothing worth paddling out for. A few morning windows show glassy conditions, like Monday morning the 20th of July, but that’s with a 0.7ft swell from the west-northwest. That’s a lake, not a surf. The water temperature is sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re staring at flat water.

The only real pulse of energy comes in the second week, starting around Monday the 27th of July. We see a jump in combined swell energy to 239 and 247, with swell heights hitting 5ft from the west and a period of 7 seconds. That’s more push, but it’s short-period wind swell, and the wind is cross-shore from the west at 15-18 mph, creating a lumpy cross-chop. It’s not clean, and it’s not the right direction. That pattern continues into the end of the month, with energy building all the way to 671 by Friday the 31st of July, with heights of 8ft. That’s the biggest swell of the outlook, but it’s still a short-period (8 seconds) west-northwest swell, and the wind is cross-shore. For a sheltered break like Harlyn, that’s just going to be a messy, walled-up closeout. Beginners should stay well clear of anything over 5ft, and 8ft is expert-only territory anyway, but with the poor wind alignment, it’s not going to be quality.

The best of a bad bunch is probably the morning of Saturday the 1st of August. There’s a 4ft, 10-second west swell, and the wind is cross-offshore from the west-southwest at 15 mph. That’s the cleanest wind we see, and the period is long enough to hold a line. The combined energy is still strong (605), but the tide and the break quality will be questionable. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the only window where you might find a few workable ones if you’re desperate and pick your bank.

Bottom line: There are no standouts here. The forecast is stubbornly poor, with the wrong swell direction and persistent cross-shore winds. For a spot that’s this inconsistent anyway, a blank run like this is more normal than you’d hope. It’s going to be a 16-day grind. Keep an eye on it, because forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be looking at other hobbies.

Rusty.

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