Hilton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Hilton. I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The wave energy is just not there for a proper paddle session. The swell is tiny, wind is mostly messy, and the scores reflect that. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with no real surf to get excited about.

The first half of the outlook is a write-off. From Saturday the 8th of August right through to the end of the week, we’ve got tiny slop. Swell heights are hanging around the 1ft to 3ft mark, with short periods of 6 to 8 seconds – that’s just windswell, not groundswell. The combined energy is weak, often hitting single-digit or low double-digit values (like 18 to 53). The water temperature at Hilton is sitting at 84°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be comfortable if you’re just floating, but there’s nothing to ride.

The wind is the real killer. Most mornings are seeing a light cross-onshore breeze, and afternoons get a moderate cross-onshore chop. There are a few glassy windows – like Wednesday morning the 12th, and Friday morning the 14th, but even then, the swell is too small (1ft to 2ft) to do anything with. It’s a case of “no waves, just a pretty view.”

We get a tiny bump around Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th. The swell picks up to 3ft to 4ft from the NW, with periods still short at 7 seconds. The combined energy climbs into the triple digits (109 to 126), which is a moderate energy level, but the wind is still cross-onshore, chopping it up. It’s a poor surf quality call across the board. For a beginner, 3ft is manageable, but with that wind, it’s a mess.

The best of a bad bunch, if you even want to call it that, is the morning of Monday the 17th of August. You’ve got a 4ft NW swell, light cross-onshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph, and the combined energy is 109. It’s still not good, but it’s the biggest push we see. The swell direction is from the NW, which is off the optimum WSW for Hilton, so it’s not wrapping in clean. The break is a reef, inconsistent, and crowds are sometimes an issue, but you won’t have to worry about that with this quality.

Honestly, for the 16-day window, there’s no standout. This stretch is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, if you’ve got the gear. For a surfer, it’s a solid blank run. It’s common for this area to go quiet, so don’t be too shocked. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the boards at home.

Rusty.

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