Hideaways Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking for Hideaways over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the first week is a bit of a grind. We’ve got waves on offer, but the quality is held back by a mix of short-period windswell and onshore or cross-off winds that keep things from really firing. The water is sitting at 80°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The real story starts to build from next weekend. We’ve got a long-period groundswell arriving that looks like it could be something special. Let’s get into it.

The forecast kicks off Saturday the 18th of July. We’ve got small, short-period swell from the ENE around 5 ft, period a weak 7 seconds, with a moderate east breeze. The combined energy is low at 255, so it’s a bit of a wait-and-paddle session. Not much to write home about.

This pattern of small, short-period ENE swell and moderate east winds continues through the week. Monday the 20th sees a brief spike in energy (433) but it’s still short-period and the wind is cross-off, keeping things clean but gutless. By Thursday the 23rd, the swell bumps up a touch to 5 ft, but still shackled by that 7-second period.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday the 26th of July, the swell direction shifts to straight East, and the period jumps to a massive 17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy explodes to 1067, and we’ve got a gentle breeze from the east keeping it glassy. This is a standout. The waves will be around 4 ft to 4 ft, but with that long period, expect clean, lined-up sets. Because it’s a reef break, the long period will work beautifully, giving you those long, bowly walls. This is the best on offer in the first half of the outlook.

The pulse keeps going into Monday the 27th (5 ft, 15 seconds, energy 1276) and Tuesday the 28th (7 ft, 14 seconds, energy 1750). The size is getting bigger, and the wind stays favorable. For experienced surfers, Tuesday morning is a gem.

Then we get a monster. Wednesday the 29th of July, the swell jumps to 10 ft with a 14-second period, and the energy is a massive 4228. By Thursday the 30th, we’re looking at 20 ft swell from the East, 12-second period, and the energy is off the charts at 10338. This is huge, expert-only territory. The wind is light and cross, so there will be some texture, but for a reef break, this is a serious, heavy day. The swell direction is East, which is exactly the optimum direction for Hideaways, so it’s going to be focused and powerful. For the general surfer, this is too big, but for the big-wave crew, this is the standout of the whole forecast.

The swell drops back down by Friday the 31st of July to a more manageable 8 ft, but the period drops to 9 seconds as the energy fades. Still a fun option, but the magic is the big groundswell.

There’s a bit of a gap after the 2nd of August, with the swell fading to 2 ft and cross-shore winds killing the quality. The run of good surf looks to be finished by then.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is small and uninspiring. The Sunday the 26th of July through Thursday the 30th of July window is the one to circle, with the biggest, cleanest, and most powerful swell of the period. If you’re an expert, Thursday the 30th is the day. If you’re looking for something a bit more user-friendly, the Sunday and Monday (26th and 27th) are your best bet.

Rusty.

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