Hat Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for Hat Head.

We’re kicking off on Tuesday, the 11th of August, but honestly, it’s a bit of a slow start. The swell is tiny, only 2ft, and while the wind is light out of the west, the swell direction is not doing us any favours. It’s a bit of a wait-and-see situation.

The real action starts to build on Wednesday the 12th. Wednesday morning looks like the first proper chance, with a clean 4ft south swell and light west winds. The energy is picking up too, with moderate wave energy (414). This is where it gets interesting. Then Thursday the 13th morning is looking clean again, with 4ft south swell and light offshore south-west winds.

Friday the 14th is a standout. The morning session is looking very nice, with 5ft of south swell and a solid 643 in combined energy – that’s moderate wave energy humming. The wind is light and offshore from the SSW, so expect clean, lined-up waves. This is a solid pick. Saturday the 15th holds onto the swell, 6ft in the morning, with a moderate offshore breeze keeping things tidy. It’s a bit shorter period around 7 seconds, but still fun.

We’ve got a solid run through the weekend and into early next week. The swell size stays in that fun 4ft to 6ft range, and the wind keeps swinging offshore or cross-off. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Monday the 17th brings a bigger pulse, 8ft from the southeast. That’s getting into the expert-only territory for the bigger sets, and the combined energy jumps to 1042 – that’s strong wave energy. Conditions look marginal with rain showers and a cross-off wind, so keep an eye on it if you’re experienced.

Things settle back down midweek, with Wednesday the 19th morning looking clean again at 6ft, and Wednesday afternoon really shines. That afternoon session has a 5ft swell from the SE with a period of 10 seconds, and the energy is 889 – strong stuff. Light cross-off winds, very good conditions.

The second week, from around the 21st into the 26th, we see a pattern of cleaner, smaller swells with consistent offshore winds. The 22nd of August afternoon has a nice 5ft east swell with a period of 10 seconds, and a gentle offshore wind from the south. The 23rd and 24th are similar, with clean 4ft to 4ft swells and moderate offshore winds. The 25th is a bit of a drop-off, but it picks back up on the 26th with a clean 4ft south swell.

Overall, the best bet for the whole 16 days is Friday the 14th morning – that’s the one with the best combination of solid 5ft south swell, light offshore wind, and strong energy. Don’t sleep on that Wednesday afternoon the 19th either, it’s a close second.

-Rusty

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