Holden Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a hard look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, this is a tough stretch. We’ve got a long run of days with nothing worth paddling out for. The first chance at a surfable wave doesn’t even show up until the very end of the outlook. For nearly two weeks, we’re looking at weak, short-period windswell and dodgy wind. The energy levels are just too low to get anything going. A lot of those days show a combined energy reading in the double digits, which is basically flat.

The water temp at Holden Beach (Holden Beach) is sitting at 84°, which is right about average for this time of year. No surprises there.

Let’s run through it. From Monday the 3rd through to the end of the second week, it’s mostly junk. The swell is tiny – we’re talking 1 ft to 4 ft – and the period is short, usually between 4 and 8 seconds. That’s just wind chop. Plus the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, with a lot of “risk tstorm” days, so the surface is messy. You’d be fighting a losing battle out there.

There are a couple of mornings that look clean, like the 9th where it goes glassy and the 13th with a glass-off, but the swell is only 1 ft and 3 ft respectively – both too small for a decent ride. Late in the window, on the 15th and 18th, we get some cleaner, cross-off winds, but again the swell is barely three feet and the period is short.

The only real stand-out, and I use that term loosely, is the very last slot. On Tuesday the 18th, the morning shows a glassy, clean, offshore wind from the N at 6 mph. The swell is only 1 ft, but the period jumps to 9 seconds. That’s a touch more energy (combined energy of 39) and a longer-period groundswell signal. It’s a tiny, clean wave for a longboard or a foiler, but it’s the best we’ve got anywhere in this 16-day window. Don’t expect much, but if you’re desperate, it’s the only chance for a glassy surf.

Overall, this is a quiet, frustrating period. The lack of consistent swell and the onshore winds mean you’re better off doing something else for a while. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, we’re in a flat spell.

Rusty.

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