Higgins Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with the outlook for Higgins Beach. Lemme tell ya, it's a tough one to call. You look down the forecast and it’s one of those periods where the ocean just isn't playing ball. We're looking at a pretty flat start with meagre, short-period slop that's barely moving. The first real stretch from now right through to the end of the month is mostly a write-off for any kind of decent paddle surfing. There's a long, quiet gap of nearly two weeks before anything even gets close to being worth a mention.

For the first week or more, it's all knee-high or smaller, with the wind mostly onshore or cross-onshore messing up what little bump there is. The water temp is sitting at a very pleasant 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – you could almost go in without a steamer, but you wouldn't want to for the surf. The energy in the water is just pathetic, mostly reading single digits to low double digits (7 to 92) on the energy scale, which is basically weak as dishwater. You'd get more excitement from a washing machine.

Now, things get a little more interesting as we move into the final days of August. There's a noticeable uptick in combined swell energy hitting the 100-200 range, like on the 26th of August we see the energy jump to 139, and by the 27th it’s up to 223. That’s a moderate push of energy, but the swell heights are still only around the 2 ft mark. The real story here is the period—it stretches out to 12 or even 15 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and you can feel it in the numbers. This kind of long-period energy wants to find a reef or a point to wrap around, but at an exposed beach like Higgins, it might just stand up and close out.

But here’s the kicker: the best chance we get in the whole 16-day window is on the 28th of August, Friday morning. We’ve got a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the north (9 mph) blowing right into that 2 ft SE groundswell. The energy reads 112, which is solid. It's not going to be huge or mind-blowing, but with those light winds and a clean face, it might just offer a couple of fun little runners for the dedicated local. The 31st of August, Monday morning, also has a chance with glassy conditions and a similar 2 ft swell (energy of 114), but the wind is light from the south, which is straight onshore for this spot. Still, if it holds glassy, you might get a sneaky session in.

Overall, for a surfer, this is mostly a period to tune your board, clean your wax, or take up a new hobby. The only real standouts are those two days at the end of the month – the 28th of August morning and maybe the 31st of August morning – when the wind lays down and that long-period swell arrives. For beginners, those 2 ft waves will be safe and fun if it's clean. For experts, it’s nothing special. But for a guy who just wants a couple of clean walls in the morning, that’s your window.

Hang in there.

Rusty.

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