Higgins Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get real about what’s happening at Higgins Beach. It’s a stretch of sand that’s wide open to the ocean, so it catches whatever rolls in, but honestly, the next couple of weeks look pretty grim for any decent paddle surfing. The water is sitting at 59° which is 4° colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a thick wetsuit if you’re even thinking about getting in.

We kick things off on Wednesday the 22nd of July, but there’s no surf worth talking about that morning. The first blip of something happens on Wednesday afternoon with a 6ft SSE swell, but it’s got a short period of 8 seconds and the combined energy is moderate at 531. The wind is a cross-offshore, which cleans it up, but that’s about the only good thing. The swell direction is SSE, but the break wants it from SE, so it’s a bit out of sync. It’s just a marginal, messy option.

Thursday the 23rd morning is the best this stretch has to offer. A 3ft SSE swell, again short period at 8 seconds, with a combined energy of 140. The wind is light from the W at 3 mph, making it a clean cross-offshore. The waves are small and ordinary, but at least they’re surfable. It’s not a standout by any means, just the least bad option. That afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it’s chopped out.

From Friday the 24th of July all the way through to Wednesday the 6th of August, it’s a long, frustrating run. The swell drops to knee-high, mostly under 3ft, with periods between 5 and 9 seconds. The combined energy is weak, mostly under 100, and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore, messing up what little shape there is. There’s a brief flicker on Tuesday the 28th of July afternoon with a 5ft SE swell (8 seconds, combined energy 204) and a light cross-offshore breeze, but the forecast still calls it “poor surf conditions.” The swell direction is SE, which matches the optimum, but the quality just isn’t there.

The only real window of something possibly better is on Sunday the 2nd of August, with a 3ft SE swell coming in at a longer 9 seconds, giving it a combined energy of 250 to 256. But the wind is moderate and cross-onshore from the S at 12 mph, so it’s going to be choppy and messy. It’s still not a recommendation.

This is a tough one. The whole 16-day window is a dud for paddle surfing. The consistent onshore flow and weak, short-period swells just don’t come together. If you’re a kite surfer, the stronger afternoon winds and some of those bigger, messy swells might actually look interesting, but for a traditional surfer, save your energy. The forecasts can change, and it’s rare for it to stay this poor for this long, so keep an eye out, but for now, I’d leave the boards at home.

Rusty.

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