Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’re looking at Houghton Bay, and honestly, the next few days are a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a real slow start before the ocean wakes up proper.

The first bit of surfable waves comes in Wednesday morning, but it’s pretty ordinary. You’re looking at a weak little 3ft swell from the SE with a short period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy is a measly 130. It’s clean enough with a light breeze, but it’s more of a paddle-around than a session to get excited about. This limp, inconsistent energy hangs around through Thursday with a small offshore wind, but the swell drops to 2ft. It’s just not doing anything.

Then we hit a real dead zone. From Friday right through to Monday morning, it’s all onshore slop with tiny, gutless waves. The wind is howling out of the south at times, and the swell is blown out and messy. Sunday sees a spike in size to 8ft, but with a near gale on it, the combined energy is 951, but it’s a total mess. Don’t bother.

Now, Monday afternoon is where things start to shift. We get a bit of a glass-off with a 6ft S swell and a light wind. The conditions turn glassy, and the energy is moderate at 573. It’s not a stand-out, but it’s a sign that the ocean is calming down.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Wednesday the 19th of August. This is a big, powerful swell. We’re talking a 15ft S groundswell with a very long 16 second period. The combined energy explodes to 10104 – that’s a serious amount of power. The wind is a light, clean cross-off from the NW. This is proper, expert-level surf. The swell direction is directly from the south, which is the optimum for Houghton Bay. It’s going to be big, heavy, and demanding. This is for experienced surfers only. The swell is over 8ft, so it’s not a beginner’s game. The long period will make it wall up nicely at this reef and beach setup, but it will be powerful.

The swell drops a bit on the 20th and 21st, but it’s still sizeable (10ft to 7ft) with long periods and a southerly direction. The wind is a bit cross-onshore or onshore, so the quality is marginal, but there will be plenty of water moving around. These days are a solid option for a strong intermediate or expert looking for size, just not as clean as Wednesday.

The 22nd and 23rd of August offer a reprieve. The swell drops to a more manageable 5ft from the SSE, and the wind goes offshore from the NNW. The conditions look clean, and the wave energy is solid. The combined energy is 687 on the 22nd afternoon, which is a good, fun size. The crowd is marked as “sometimes,” so you might have some company, but it should be a good session.

After that, the wind builds again into the second week. The 24th and 25th see a strong breeze onshore, dropping the quality. The swell is still there, but it’s blown out and messy. The last few days of the run are a write-off with onshore winds and tiny, weak swell.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a bust. The clear standout is Wednesday the 19th of August for the big, powerful, expert-level groundswell. If that’s too heavy, the 22nd and 23rd offer a much cleaner, more manageable session with offshore winds.

Rusty.

Read more