Hideaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the outlook for a spot called Hideaway over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and this lineup is a tricky one. Hideaway is a reef break for advanced surfers only, and it’s one of those spots that *rarely breaks*. So when it’s on, it’s a special thing, but there’s going to be a lot of waiting around here.

The first good window doesn’t really kick off until the morning of Monday, August 11th. That’s a solid week away. Before that, we’re looking at a whole lot of cross-shore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. The energy is there, with the combined swell energy hitting well over 1,000 (in the moderate to strong range on some days), but the wind just ruins it. From Monday the 3rd through to Sunday the 9th, the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the wave comment is always “marginal” or “poor.” The swell is mostly from the SSW, but the wind is from the ESE, which is the wrong side of the compass for this exposed reef. The water temperature is about 78°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

The absolute standout is looking like Tuesday morning, August 11th. The wind swings around to a light easterly breeze, making it cross-offshore and clean. The swell is coming from the ESE at 4ft with a period of 9 seconds. That’s not a huge groundswell, but for a rare-breaking reef that needs the right direction, that ESE swell matches the optimum direction from the south-southwest better than the other directions. The combined energy is 666 (moderate), and the forecast is for “very good” conditions. It’s a short window, but if you’re an advanced surfer and you know this reef, that morning is the one to circle. Expect crowds might be around, as it’s “sometimes” busy.

The second worth mentioning is Friday morning, August 14th. The wind is light and from the ENE, making it cross-offshore and clean, with a 4ft swell from the SW and a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined swell energy is 652 (moderate). The long period will make it powerful and better-shaped at the reef, but it’s a little more than a week out, so keep your fingers crossed.

After that, Saturday morning, August 15th, looks glassy. The report says “glass” wind from the NNW, with a 4ft SW swell at 17 seconds. That’s about as clean as it gets. The energy is 702 (moderate). It’s a promising end to the run, but it’s deep into the second week, so don’t lock it in.

The rest of the period is mostly a write-off. From the 16th onward, the wind turns onshore again, and the swell drops off. There’s a spike on the 18th of August with a 6ft ESE swell, but the wind is cross-onshore and the conditions are described as “poor.”

So, to sum it up: Hideaway is a fickle beast. It’s rarely breaking, and when it is, the wind is often messy. The best bet is Tuesday morning, August 11th, with a clean, cross-offshore breeze and a solid 4ft ESE swell. That’s the one to get excited about. The second nod goes to Friday morning, August 14th, for the long-period groundswell, but it’s a long way off.

Rusty.

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