Higgins Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you about the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a tough wait for anyone jonesing for a proper wave. The forecast is pretty bleak for a good long stretch, so if you’re desperate, get ready to be patient.

First thing you need to know: we’re looking at a real flat spell. From now until the end of the month, there’s just nothing doing. The swell is tiny and the winds are all over the shop, mostly onshore or cross, making a mess of what little bump there is. We are talking ankle-biters and knee-high slop, if you’re lucky. The water temp is sitting around 66°, which is pretty average for this time of year, so you won’t need the thickest suit, but a good hood might be welcome on those cloudy mornings. It’s a long stretch of nothing, which is a bummer.

The first few days are just a write-off. Monday the 17th is small, crossed-up junk from the south. Tuesday through to Sunday the 23rd offers nothing but wind ripples and close-outs. There’s an occasional bit of clean surf, like Friday morning the 21st, but the swell is far too weak to make it worth the paddle. It’s a whole week of near-flat conditions. We are talking about a solid week or more of waiting before anything with any push at all shows up.

Now, let's talk about the one and only glimmer in this whole 16-day forecast. It’s over a week away, so take it with a grain of salt, but the morning of Friday the 28th is the only time we might get something close to a real wave. The energy jumps way up – the combined energy reading is 752, which is strong – and the swell is forecast to be a solid 7 ft. That’s a real pulse of energy compared to everything else we’ve seen. The direction is from the SE, which is right in the optimum zone for Higgins Beach (Portland) according to the models. The wind is a cross-offshore from the NNE, which should keep the face clean. Its holding period is only 7 seconds, so it will be a bit crumbly and disorganized, but it will be the only thing worth looking at. That said, at 7 ft, it’s pushing into expert territory. This is not a day for the beginners. The crowd factor here could be a problem too, as the lineup at Higgins is often busy, and you can bet everyone will be out there for this one.

After that, it drops again, unfortunately. The energy backs off and we’re back to small, choppy slop for the rest of the weekend and into September. Friday the 28th is the standout, and it’s really the only game in town. It’s a long way out, so don’t book your flights, but it’s the one to keep an eye on. For everything else, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty, signing off.

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