Hilton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: I’ve scanned the charts for the Hilton area over the next 16 days, and it’s a bit of a tough stretch. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly junk, and the models are screaming "poor surf conditions" right through the entire outlook. There’s no standout session to get hyped about, but I’ll walk you through the bones of it so you know what you’re dealing with.

We’re looking at a reef break that’s inconsistent and exposed to swell from the WSW. The water is sitting at 85°F which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The first few days, from Thursday the 6th of August right through the weekend, the swell is tiny – between 1ft and 3ft, with a short period of 6 seconds coming from the WNW. The wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, so it’s choppy and messy. The combined energy is weak, sitting between 15 and 56. Not worth paddling out.

By Monday the 10th of August, we get a few glassy mornings – the 10th and 11th of August have a slight air and glassy conditions early, which is magic for the surface, but the swell is still only 1ft to 2ft. The energy is barely there (13 to 21). It’s a flat paddle, but at least you won’t be fighting the wind.

The middle of the week, the 12th through the 14th of August, is more of the same: small cross-shore or cross-on wind, swell never getting above 2ft. The energy is weak, 11 to 20. The water temp anomaly drops off the records, but it’s not getting any better.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th of August sees the swell nudge up to 3ft, but the wind is cross-on or onshore, and the period is still short (6-8 seconds). The energy hits 102 on the Sunday afternoon, which is moderate, but the wind is bad. The 17th and 18th of August actually push the swell to 4ft, with a period of 7 seconds, and the energy climbs to 125. That’s the most push we’ll see, but the wind is still cross-on or onshore all day. The wave comment stays poor.

The last few days, from the 19th of August out to the 21st, the swell drops back down to 1ft to 3ft, with energy weakening to 10 to 77. The 21st of August has a glassy morning again, but the swell is only 1ft with a 5-second period – basically a lake.

Honestly, this is a 16-day run of tiny, wind-affected surf. The only real highlights are the glassy mornings on the 10th, 11th, and 21st of August, but the swell is so small you’ll be doing more floating than riding. If you’re a beginner, these knee-high waves are safe, but for anyone else, it’s a long wait. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on the afternoons with onshore wind. The water is warm, but that’s about the only good news.

Rusty.

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