Hobe Sound/The Refuge Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, old mate Rusty here with a look at what’s cookin’ for the Hobe Sound stretch. Let’s be straight with each other—this ain’t a pretty picture. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a bust, so you’re gonna be waitin’ a while for anything worth paddlin’ out for.

We’re talkin’ about Hobe Sound/The Refuge—a beach and reef setup that’s exposed to the swell. The water’s sittin’ at a warm 86° right now, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year. Not much to get excited about there.

The first real chance of a wave comes up on Monday, 27 July. We’re lookin’ at a tiny 1 ft ENE swell with a period of 8 seconds. That’s weak energy (13) and the wind in the mornin’ is offshore from the WNW at 9 mph, so it’ll be clean. But the wave comment tells the story: “poor surf conditions.” There’s a score of 0. It’s just too small to do anything with.

That pattern holds for days. Tuesday the 28th, Wednesday the 29th, Thursday the 30th—all the same story. Swell heights barely hittin’ 0.7 ft, periods of 8 or 9 seconds, and energy levels in the low single digits. The wind flips around a bit, sometimes offshore, sometimes cross-off, but it doesn’t matter. There’s no wave to ride.

By Friday the 31st, we’re down to 0.3 ft swells. On Friday afternoon, the wind goes glassy from the SSW at 3 mph, and the period stretches to 10 seconds, but energy is only 5. It’s flat. Same story for Saturday, 1 August, and Sunday, 2 August. The wind turns cross-shore and then cross-onshore, and the swell stays tiny.

The next week is no better. Monday, 3 August, starts with a glassy mornin’ but only 0.7 ft of swell. From Tuesday, 4 August, through to Sunday, 9 August, we’re stuck with 0.7 ft to 2 ft swells, mostly from the SE or ESE with periods of 4 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell, and it’s short period—less than 8 seconds—so it’s weak and messy. The wind is cross-onshore or onshore, so it’s choppy. Energy levels finally climb to 37 on the 9th, but the swell is still 1 ft from the NE with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind is cross-onshore. Even if it’s a little bigger, it’s sloppy.

The last few days, from Monday, 10 August, to Tuesday, 11 August, show swell heights of 2 ft to 2 ft from the SE with periods of 4 to 5 seconds. Energy is in the 20s and 30s, but the wind is cross-onshore or onshore, making it choppy. No standouts here.

The truth is, there’s not a single day in this 16-day window where the surf is worthwhile. The setup’s more interesting for a kite than a paddle, if you’re into that sort of thing. For the rest of us, it’s a long blank run. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d hang the board up and find somethin’ else to do.

Rusty

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