Hilton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what we've got coming down the line for Hilton.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim run. We’re looking at the next 16 days and I’m struggling to find a single window that’s worth paddling out for. The good news? This kind of flat, blown-out spell is unusual for the area, so it tends not to stay this poor for long.

We start with the water temp at a warm 85°, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year. But that’s where the good news ends. From Friday the 14th right through to Saturday the 29th of August, every single surf report is flagged as "poor surf conditions."

Friday and Saturday of this week are a write-off. Swell is tiny – we’re talking 2 ft to 3 ft from the WNW with a short period of just 6 seconds. That's weak, wind-affected slop. The combined energy is low, bouncing between 37 and 69. On top of that, we’ve got a moderate onshore wind making it choppy. There's nothing to get excited about.

Sunday the 16th sees a tiny bump in energy, with the combined rating hitting 128 to 165, but the swell height is still only 3 ft to 4 ft and the wind is still onshore and messy. The period sits at 8 seconds – still not long enough to bring any proper shape or power. This is a classic case of having a little more water moving but no quality to show for it.

The rest of the week just fades away. By the time we get to the second half of the month, from the 20th onward, it’s brutally small. Swell heights drop to 0.7 ft to 2 ft, and the combined energy readings are in the single digits or low double-digits. There's simply no power in the water.

The only moment that even flirts with being decent is the morning of Friday the 21st of August. We get a brief period of glassy conditions with light WNW wind at 3 mph. The swell is only 2 ft from the NW with a 5-second period, so it’s weak and gutless, but if you’re desperate for a log session on a longboard, you might find a few clean but tiny dribblers. By the afternoon, the onshore wind returns and ruins it.

A couple of mornings, like the 29th of August, also show glassy conditions, but with only 0.7 ft of swell, you’d be better off doing laps in a swimming pool.

There’s no standout day. Not a single one. The wind is consistently onshore, the swell is too short-period and weak, and the break at Hilton is a reef setup exposed to the WSW, but the swell is coming from the WNW to NW, so it’s not even hitting it right. It’s a full 16-day dud.

Sorry folks. This one’s a skunk. Keep the boards in the car, maybe go for a surf-ski or a paddleboard if you feel the need to get wet. See you next time.

Rusty.

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