Hotel Novotel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, crew, Rusty here. Let’s cut to it – the next couple weeks are looking pretty bleak for a proper surf. We’re looking at a long haul of onshore and cross-shore winds, and the swell is mostly short-period windswell that’s gonna leave everything bumpy and choppy.

Your first real shot at a clean wave doesn’t roll in until the 16th of August. That’s a solid week and a half of waiting, so if you’re keen, you’ll be doing a lot of stretching and watching. The wave energy in the water is weak to moderate at best, with most days coming in under 100 and only occasionally pushing past 200. Water temp is sitting at 84°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so at least the water will be warm.

The only spot on the map is Hotel Novotel. It’s a fairly consistent beginner break, but it’s exposed to the east and the wind is never doing you any favors. All the swell is coming from the east with a period of 6 to 8 seconds – that’s short-period stuff, so it won't have any punch or shape. It’s more of a chop-fest than a surf.

Things start to pick up in size around the 13th, with the swell building to 6ft and the energy jumping to 371 and 422. But pump the brakes – the wind is fresh and cross-shore, so it’s going to be lumpy and messy. The 14th sees the biggest swell of the window, hitting 8ft with a period of 9 seconds and energy up at 780. That’s a lot of water moving, but with a fresh cross-shore breeze, it’s going to be a fight. At that size, it’s also pushing past the limits for the beginners this spot is usually for. With that wind and the beach setup, this might be more interesting for the kite surfers than for us.

The only glimmer of hope is the afternoon of the 16th. The swell eases slightly to 6ft, the period is still 8 seconds, but the wind finally swings to a cross-offshore and the report calls it clean. That’s your best bet in the whole 16 days. It’s not perfect – the period is still short – but it’s the only time the surface is going to be worth paddling out into. The energy will be strong at 460, so there’s some push.

After that, it’s back to more of the same, with onshore winds and cross-chop spoiling anything the waves have to offer right through the 21st. The swell stays in the 4-6ft range, but the quality just isn’t there.

So, the long and short of it: mark the afternoon of the 16th on your calendar. That’s your one window. Everything else is a wash. It’s a long stretch of nothing, which is a bummer, but that’s how it goes. Keep an eye on the forecast, because a run this blank can’t last forever.

Rusty, out.

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