Hilton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on offer for Hilton over the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, it’s a pretty quiet stretch. For the first week and a half, there’s just nothing doing. The swell is tiny, the period is short, and the wind is mostly on it or cross. It’s all “poor surf conditions” across the board. We’re looking at a real dry spell from the 14th all the way through to the morning of the 23rd of July. That’s a long gap with no real surf to speak of.

Now, things do finally change around the 24th of July. That Friday morning, the swell starts to show some life, pushing up to 5ft from the WNW with an 8-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 287 (moderate). The problem is, the wind is cross-onshore and the conditions are still rated as poor. It’s a bit of a tease. The 25th of July, Saturday morning, is the closest thing we have to a standout. The swell holds at 5ft from the WNW, still 8 seconds, with a combined energy of 329 (still moderate). The wind is a light cross-shore from the SSW at 6 mph, which is about the best wind we see in the whole period. It’s right on the edge of being something, but it’s still only a “marginal” call. For a beginner-friendly reef/jetty spot like Hilton, that 5ft is probably the top end of comfortable, so it’s not a worry.

Because the swell is short-period (8 seconds) and the break is a reef/jetty, it might not form the best lines. It’s not a groundswell situation, so don’t expect long, clean walls. The water temperature is sitting at 82°F with a 2° anomaly, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year.

Honestly, if you’re desperate for a paddle, the Saturday morning of the 25th is your only real window, and even then, keep your expectations low. The rest of the fortnight is a write-off. For the size and the wind setup we see later on, this spot might actually look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, especially on those afternoons with stronger onshore breeze.

Rusty.

Read more