Horseneck Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the outlook for Horseneck Beach is a tough one. We’re looking at a 16-day stretch where the surf just doesn’t show up in any meaningful way. It’s a frustrating run of flat, wind-affected, or just plain poor conditions. There’s no standout window, no day to circle on the calendar. It’s one of those blanks that’s more normal for the area than we’d like, but you know how it goes – forecasts can change, and it never stays poor forever.

We kick off on Saturday, August 29, with a tiny 2ft south swell at a short 7 seconds. The combined energy is a weak 22, and while the morning is glassy and clean, there’s just no power to work with. By afternoon, the wind swings to the southwest at 12 mph, turning it cross-on and choppy. The swell drops further to 1ft. Sunday and Monday offer nothing better – the swell is either too small, too short-period, or the wind is junk. On Monday morning, August 31, we get a glassy 2ft from the SSW, but it’s a 5-second windswell with only 18 units of energy. It’s clean, but it’s barely surfable.

The middle of the week stays poor. Tuesday, September 1, sees onshore wind and tiny waves. Wednesday, September 2, brings a bit more energy with a 1.0ft SSE swell at 11 seconds (38 energy), but it’s onshore and messy. Thursday, September 3, is the closest we get to anything interesting: a 5ft south swell with 149 energy units. The period is a weak 6 seconds, though, and the wind is a fresh cross-shore at 19 mph, making it lumpy. The afternoon improves slightly with a clean cross-off breeze, but the swell drops to 4ft – still not enough to get excited about.

The second week is a wash. Friday, September 4, through Sunday, September 6, all feature tiny, weak swells with clean winds but no size. The energy readings are in the single digits or low teens. Monday, September 7, sees a 4ft southeast swell (77 energy) in the morning with clean offshore wind, but it’s a 5-second period – just a weak windswell. The afternoon picks up to 5ft from the SSE with 240 energy, but it’s a cross-shore wind and the period is still only 6 seconds. That’s the biggest swell of the entire run, but it’s poor quality. Tuesday, September 8, has a 4ft south swell with an 8-second period and 141 energy – light cross-shore wind, but still not enough to call it good.

The rest of the forecast is more of the same. Wednesday, September 9, through Saturday, September 13, all show swells under 5ft, mostly with onshore or cross-on winds, and the combined energy rarely breaks 200. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual to report.

To be honest, if you’re looking for a paddle, you’re better off staying home. The setup at Horseneck Beach, with its sandbar and fair exposure, just isn’t getting any love from the ocean. The swell direction rarely matches the optimum from the southeast, and when it does, the wind or period lets it down. For a kite surfer, there might be some afternoons with a decent breeze and a bit of chop, but for a surfer? It’s a flat spell, plain and simple.

Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, I’d say take a break. The ocean will come back around.

Rusty.

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